mgoblog - kenny allenhttp://mgoblog.com/taxonomy/term/15200/0
enPre-Orange Bowl Player Availability 12-20-16http://mgoblog.com/content/pre-orange-bowl-player-availability-12-20-16
<p><em><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30298389484_5036bc94e9_z.jpg"><img title="30298389484_5036bc94e9_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="30298389484_5036bc94e9_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30298389484_5036bc94e9_z_thumb.jpg" width="554" height="371" /></a></em></p>
<p><em>[Eric Upchurch]</em></p>
<p><strong><em>Mason Cole</em></strong></p>
<p><strong>Obviously we saw a big leap in the running game last year against Florida. Is there something where having more time as an offensive line really helps you fix mistakes or figure out some stuff?</strong></p>
<p>“Yeah, I think late in the season you forget those fundamentals you focus on so much in camp. You’re focused more on gameplan and stuff, so this is a good time to get back to fundamentals, get back to working on double teams, working on pass protection. Just get back to fundamentals and really clean those up. I think that’s what made last year go so well and hopefully this year, too.”</p>
<p><strong>For you going forward, do you want to stay at center or are you entertaining other moves?</strong></p>
<p>“Yeah, I’d like to stay at center but whatever has to happen has to happen.”</p>
<p><strong>Have you guys not had those conversations yet?</strong></p>
<p>“No, no, not yet. Just right now it’s all Florida State stuff, so just focused on that.” </p>
<p><strong>Have you made any progress on your NFL decision? Talked to anyone or had any extra evaluation?</strong></p>
<p>“No, not yet. Just trying to gather all the information out there. Just gather as much information to make a good decision with Coach Harbaugh and the coaching staff and everyone. Just the more information you have, the better.”</p>
<p><strong>If someone said a round attached to your name, where would you want to be to make the decision that you’re going to go?</strong></p>
<p>“I don’t know if there is an exact round. Like I said, just talking with Coach Harbaugh and Coach Drevno and hearing their opinions and just trying to gather as much information as possible so I can make an informed decision.”</p>
<p><strong>Are you on pace to graduate this spring?</strong></p>
<p>“No, no, no. I graduate next December.”</p>
<p><strong>[After THE JUMP: Kenny Allen, Mike McCray, and Matt Godin]</strong></p>
<a name="more"></a><!--break--><!--break--><p><em><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/31142601291_c9c201127c_z_0.jpg"><img title="31142601291_c9c201127c_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="31142601291_c9c201127c_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/31142601291_c9c201127c_z_thumb_0.jpg" width="554" height="371" /></a></em></p>
<p><em>[Eric Upchurch]</em></p>
<p><strong><em>Kenny Allen</em></strong></p>
<p><strong>This will be your last game. Who do you think will be the kicker and punter next year?</strong></p>
<p>“It’s hard to say. There’s a lot of good guys practicing right now, so I think it’ll be a good competition between everyone who’s on our team.”</p>
<p>(<em>regarding his work load) </em><strong>Was it physical or mental? What was the hardest part to handle?</strong></p>
<p>“I don’t really think it’s physically that hard. You obviously can’t kick too much. Mentally, when a kicker gets into a slum it could be really bad. I think in my case it showed us what we need to do and that there’s no time to waste. I think we did a good job as a team and the coaches helped me out a lot.”</p>
<p><strong>You guys always reference what the Citrus Bowl did for you this season. Is it something you’ve talked about with the freshmen, how important this bowl game can be going forward next year?</strong></p>
<p>“I think it’s kind of something that might be said but doesn’t really need to be said. Win or lose this game, that’s how the season starts for you, so you’re going to remember this game going into next season. I think we’ll kind of discuss that more as we head down there.”</p>
<p><em><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30717230781_8b18158087_z.jpg"><img title="30717230781_8b18158087_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="30717230781_8b18158087_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30717230781_8b18158087_z_thumb.jpg" width="554" height="371" /></a></em></p>
<p><em>[Bryan Fuller]</em></p>
<p><strong><em>Mike McCray</em></strong></p>
<p><strong>What’s it like going into this bowl game after losing to Ohio State?</strong></p>
<p>“The team, I think, has moved on from the loss to Ohio State. Probably took us like a week to get over it, but now we’re focused on Florida State, who’s a great team.”</p>
<p><strong>What strikes you about their offense that’s something you’ll really have to lock down?</strong></p>
<p>“Very fast and physical. Dalvin Cook’s probably the best back we’ve played all year. He’s a great player. Then they’ve got good receivers out wide, good offensive linemen. They’re a great challenge for our team to see where our defense is at the end of the season.”</p>
<p><strong>Is Don Brown putting new stuff in? Is there stuff you guys haven’t been able to do because it was week-to-week and now there’s extra time?</strong></p>
<p>“[Inaudible]. He adds wrinkles and things like that throughout the whole season and he’s continued to do that as well.”</p>
<p><em><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30052530095_4c574439ab_z_0.jpg"><img title="30052530095_4c574439ab_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="30052530095_4c574439ab_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30052530095_4c574439ab_z_thumb_0.jpg" width="554" height="371" /></a></em></p>
<p><em>[Bryan Fuller]</em></p>
<p><strong><em>Matt Godin</em></strong></p>
<p><strong>On Dalvin Cook:</strong></p>
<p>“I don’t know. He’s different. He’s different from anyone else we’ve played, so I really don’t see a comparison.”</p>
<p><strong>Is there a game you saw on film that stands out?</strong></p>
<p>“He had a really good game against Boston College. We’ve watched that a lot. Obviously they have some of the same defenses that we run, so we’ve been watching that a lot.”</p>
<p><strong>Is it a good thing to have a defensive coordinator with recent experience against Florida State?</strong></p>
<p>“Oh, definitely. He knows what they tried to do against him last year with his defenses. He knows what they’re about, so it helps.”</p>
http://mgoblog.com/content/pre-orange-bowl-player-availability-12-20-16#commentskenny allenmason colematt godinmike mccraypress conference transcriptsactual reportingWed, 21 Dec 2016 19:45:58 +0000Adam Schnepp112974 at http://mgoblog.comNo Damn Reason At Allhttp://mgoblog.com/content/no-damn-reason-all
<p><strong>11/26/2016 – Michigan 27, Ohio State 30 (2OT) – 10-2, 7-2 Big Ten</strong></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/30435769314_df1a0b3905_z.jpg"><img title="30435769314_df1a0b3905_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="30435769314_df1a0b3905_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/30435769314_df1a0b3905_z_thumb.jpg" width="564" height="378" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Eric Upchurch]</em></p>
<p><strong></strong></p>
<p>After all that, the thing that sticks with me is something much more prosaic than the various outrages everyone's going on about. It's third and four in the fourth quarter. Ohio State literally triple-covers Jake Butt; Wilton Speight <a href="https://twitter.com/JDue51/status/803086809068699648">finds Amara Darboh open on a quick slant</a>. The ball is behind Darboh, tough but catchable. Darboh does not catch it. Michigan punts with five minutes and change left on the clock.</p>
<p>Why did that happen? </p>
<p>I don't know. Nobody does, but very few people tasked with writing about a thing will tell you that. Everyone else will reach for any explanation of remote plausibility, from an injured shoulder to CHOKING like a CLOWN FRAUD. Whatever, doesn't matter. Just as long as there's a reason a thing occurred, we can go on with our lives. </p>
<p>I think that happened for no damn reason at all. Yes, if you replaced Speight with Tom Brady that pass was more likely to be accurate. If you replaced him with Tyler O'Connor, less likely. It is still a simple five-yard throw that is amongst the easiest in the quarterback's repertoire. It is within the capabilities of the QB. Speight probably hits 90% of them, especially on a day where he is locked in. The most likely explanation for why he did not hit that one is none at all. The most likely reason Darboh did not catch a tough but catchable pass is none at all. </p>
<p>There are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_reliability">entire fields of study</a> dedicated to the fallibility of the human brain, which refuses to operate cleanly. (I just put a D into the word &quot;entire&quot; as I was typing that sentence out.) These exist mostly because planes crash into each other and space shuttles explode and not because football happens sometimes, which just goes to show that people have strange priorities. </p>
<p align="center">--------------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Speaking of the fallibility of the human brain:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jim Harbaugh was justifiably unimpressed with this officiating <a href="https://t.co/WHde8oZalZ">https://t.co/WHde8oZalZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/vldk3U1k44">pic.twitter.com/vldk3U1k44</a></p>
<p> — SB✯Nation CFB (@SBNationCFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/SBNationCFB/status/802570464816197632">November 26, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p>It is hard to take that sort of thing. Michigan had just gotten a flag on a similar, but less severe, defensive holding incident on the prior Ohio State drive. That ended a Michigan drive that had reached midfield; if called correctly Michigan has first and ten at the Ohio State 40. </p>
<p>Later in the game the same pattern would repeat. Delano Hill was flagged for pass interference on third and 14 when he unnecessarily grabbed the waist of Curtis Samuel before the ball arrived; <a href="https://twitter.com/JDue51/status/803097085184712704">the exact same thing happened to Grant Perry</a> on a third down conversion attempt and was ignored. Again, that sets Michigan up with a first down, this one on the ten in the second overtime. Again it was preceded by a call so similar against Michigan it beggars belief that a flag did not come out. </p>
<p>That's tough to get over. The spot was close enough and chaotic enough that it falls within the realm of the unknowable. An MGoUser who knows what parallax is and went over available evidence with a fine-toothed comb <a href="http://mgoblog.com/diaries/resolving-parallax-error">thinks Barrett made it by literally an inch or two</a>. While I thought the spot was wrong I knew they would not overturn it, because they never overturn spots without some sort of egregious his-knee-was-down-ten-yards-ago kind of thing. In isolation that call is, in the cold light of day two days later, too close to have a definitive resolution. If it was wrong it very well could have been an honest mistake. </p>
<p>It is difficult to interpret either of the above incidents as honest, or a mistake. It's difficult to see a standard-issue Harbaugh blowup get flagged in the Game when we've seen the same thing tolerated all year. It's difficult to believe that Michigan's defensive line hasn't benefited from a holding call since the Illinois game. </p>
<p>This is the point at which newspapery types come in with the You Had Your Opportunities To Win The Game, an asinine criticism since that's literally true of both teams in every close game ever played. You can believe that Michigan had opportunities to win they did not take and simultaneously believe that the officiating gave you less than a 50/50 shot in a 50/50 game. </p>
<p>And then you're <a href="https://t.co/4HIhvOKXeT">putting guys out on the field from the state of Ohio</a> who were previously banned from working The Game because of how it might look? What the fuck are you even doing, Big Ten? </p>
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/30907158400_e65cb7ecbd_z.jpg"><img title="30907158400_e65cb7ecbd_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="30907158400_e65cb7ecbd_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/30907158400_e65cb7ecbd_z_thumb.jpg" width="564" height="536" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Patrick Barron]</em></p>
<p>What's that? Counting your money? Right. Well done. </p>
<p align="center">--------------------------------------------</p>
<p>Michigan lost this game. They did so for many reasons. </p>
<p>Their mistakes were punished as ruthlessly as possible. A floating ball goes directly to a defender. A fumbled snap is recovered by the defense. Curtis Samuel escapes a huge loss three times and sets up the fourth down that falls within the margin of error. </p>
<p>They did not take advantage of plays that were there to be made. Speight threw behind Darboh twice; Darboh did not bail him out. Karan Higdon missed a cut on what would have been a huge gain. Smith did not run over a safety prior to the fumble. </p>
<p>They did not get a fair whistle. See above. </p>
<p>All that and it came down to a literal inch. A rivalry classic, and an invitation for a bunch of hooting jackals to hoot some more. As for us on the other side, nothing to do but soldier on in the gray light of morning. </p>
<h3>AWARDS</h3>
<p align="center"><em><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/30457257663_c0af3809b2_z.jpg"><img title="30457257663_c0af3809b2_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="30457257663_c0af3809b2_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/30457257663_c0af3809b2_z_thumb.jpg" width="564" height="378" /></a></em></p>
<p align="center"><em>there is another [Bryan Fuller]</em></p>
<p><strong>Known Friends And Trusted Agents Of The Week</strong></p>
<p><img style="float: right; display: inline" alt="-2535ac8789d1b499[1]" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/images/537fc4d56c20_9177/-2535ac8789d1b4991f1c37dee-a502-44d9-94ed-bee425f87474.jpg" align="right" /><em>you're the man now, dog</em></p>
<p><strong>#1 Taco Charlton </strong>was the most rampant of Michigan's very rampant defensive line, acquiring two and a half sacks and forcing Barrett to move around several other times. </p>
<p><strong>#2</strong> (tie) <strong>Ben Gedeon</strong> and <strong>Mike McCray</strong> shut off the Ohio State edge except on a couple plays where Michigan was successfully out-leveraged pre-snap. It was weird to see neutrals on twitter wondering why anyone would run east-west against The Michigan Defense, but they were, because it didn't work. They picked up 19 tackles between them, two sacks, another TFL, and McCray batted down two passes. McCray also forced a sack when he leapt in the passing lane of a third. </p>
<p><strong>#3</strong> <strong>Kenny Allen</strong> bombed all but one of his punts; he mastered the Ron Coluzzi hard right turn; he had just one touchback, that on a punt that still had a 40+ yard net; Curtis Samuel had just one quickly snuffed return opportunity; he hit a couple field goals; none of his kickoffs were returnable. </p>
<p><strong>Honorable mention: </strong>Channing Stribling broke up the only deep shot on the day; OSU decided they were not going to bother with either him or Jourdan Lewis. The rest of the defensive line was terrific all day; the tackles were very good in pass protection against some tough customers. Peppers had a big KOR, an interception, and was also a major part of the edge being closed down. </p>
<p><strong>KFaTAotW Standings.</strong></p>
<p><strong>10:</strong> <strong>Wilton Speight</strong> (#1 UCF, #1 Illinois, #3 MSU, #1 Maryland)<strong>,</strong> <strong>Taco Charlton</strong>(three-way T1, PSU, same vs Rutgers, #3 Maryland, #2 Iowa, #2 Indiana, #1 OSU). <br /><strong>9: Jabrill Peppers</strong>(T2, Hawaii; #3 UCF, #1 Colorado, #2 Rutgers, #2 MSU) <br /><strong>5:</strong> <strong>Ryan Glasgow</strong>(#2 UCF, #1 UW), <strong>Chris Wormley</strong> (three-way T1, PSU, same vs Rutgers, #1 Iowa). <br /><strong>4: Jourdan Lewis</strong> (#3 UW, #2 Maryland, #3 Indiana), <strong>Mike McCray</strong>(#1 Hawaii, T2 OSU), <strong>Ben Gedeon</strong>(#3 Colorado, #3 PSU, three-way T1 Rutgers, T2 OSU). <br /><strong>3.5</strong>: <strong>De'Veon Smith</strong> (four-way T2, PSU, #1 Indiana). <br /><strong>3:</strong> <strong>Amara Darboh</strong>(#1 MSU). <br /><strong>2.5:</strong> <strong>Karan Higdon</strong>(four-way T2, PSU, #2 Illinois). <br /><strong>2:</strong> <strong>Jake Butt</strong>(#2 Colorado), <strong>Kyle Kalis</strong> (#2 UW) <br /><strong>1:</strong> <strong>Delano Hill</strong> (T2, Hawaii), <strong>Chris Evans</strong> (T3, Hawaii, four-way T2, PSU),&#160; <strong>Maurice Hurst</strong> (three-way T1, PSU),&#160; <strong>Devin Asiasi</strong>(#3 Rutgers), <strong>Ben Braden</strong> (#3 Illinois), <strong>Channing Stribling</strong> (#3 Iowa), <strong>Kenny Allen</strong> (#3 OSU). <br /><strong>0.5:</strong> <strong>Mason Cole</strong>(T3, Hawaii), <strong>Ty Isaac</strong> (four-way T2, PSU).</p>
<p><strong>Who's Got It Better Than Us Of The Week</strong></p>
<p><em>This week's best thing ever.</em></p>
<p>It's a goat in a duck costume! </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rescued goat wears duck costume to calm anxiety <a href="https://t.co/wdgmHVCLfd">https://t.co/wdgmHVCLfd</a> <a href="https://t.co/p1zVDccIlu">pic.twitter.com/p1zVDccIlu</a></p>
<p> — AJC (@ajc) <a href="https://twitter.com/ajc/status/803252412601380864">November 28, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p><strong>Honorable mention: </strong>is that not sufficient</p>
<p><strong>WGIBTUs Past.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hawaii:</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/AceAnbender/status/772431903861407744">Laughter-inducing Peppers punt return</a>. <br /><strong>UCF</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtQWBUu_TpU">Speight opens his Rex Grossman account</a>. <br /><strong>Colorado</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kthqKgn7fQ">Peppers cashes it in</a>. <br /><strong>PSU:</strong> <a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8316/29830963062_78e01c0a22_o.gif">Wormley's sack establishes a theme</a>. <br /><strong>UW:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgE-FVZ77rs">Darboh puts Michigan ahead for good</a>. <br /><strong>Rutgers</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TiDXmUGkRhk?start=7">Peppers presses &quot;on&quot;.</a> <br /><strong>Illinois:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=takOcvJmKMI">TRAIN 2.0</a>. <br /><strong>MSU:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGPNPwqxeh0">lol, two points</a>. <br /><strong>Maryland</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvDtjWjRM5I">very complicated bomb</a>. <br /><strong>Iowa</strong>: The touchdown. <br /><strong>Indiana:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=225mQtP0Xvw">Smith woodchips Michigan a lead</a>. <br /><strong>OSU</strong>: <a href="https://twitter.com/ajc/status/803252412601380864">Goat. Duck costume. Yeah</a>. </p>
<p><img title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/images/Game-Column_12C3/image.png" width="204" align="right" height="161" /><strong>MARCUS HALL EPIC DOUBLE BIRD OF THE WEEK</strong>.</p>
<p><em>This week's worst thing ever.</em></p>
<p>The Spot. </p>
<p><strong>Honorable mention</strong>: The ensuing play. Speight fumbles the snap; Speight gets hit on the throw and offers up a pick six; Speight throws an INT that is on him; various refereeing malfeasances. </p>
<p><strong>PREVIOUS EPIC DOUBLE BIRDs</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hawaii: </strong>Not Mone again. <br /><strong>UCF</strong>: Uh, Dymonte, you may want to either tackle or at least lightly brush that guy. <br /><strong>Colorado</strong>: Speight blindsided. <br /><strong>PSU:</strong> Clark's noncontact ACL injury. <br /><strong>UW</strong>: Newsome joins the ranks of the injured. <br /><strong>Rutgers</strong>: you can't call back the Mona Lisa of punt returns, man. <br /><strong>Illinois:</strong> They scored a what now? On Michigan? A touchdown? <br /><strong>Michigan State:</strong> a terrifying first drive momentarily makes you think you're in the mirror universe. <br /><strong>Maryland</strong>: Edge defense is a confirmed issue. <br /><strong>Iowa</strong>: Kalis hands Iowa a safety. <br /><strong>Indiana</strong>: A legitimate drive. <br /><strong>OSU:</strong> The Spot. </p>
<p><strong>[After THE JUMP: ~3000 additional words, 43% of which are swears.]</strong></p>
<a name="more"></a><!--break--><!--break--><h3>OFFENSE</h3>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/31220980256_9c7874590d_z.jpg"><img title="31220980256_9c7874590d_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="31220980256_9c7874590d_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/31220980256_9c7874590d_z_thumb.jpg" width="564" height="378" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Upchurch]</em></p>
<p><strong>Seemed kind of good, and then very bad, and then kind of good again</strong>. Wilton Speight has some pretty odd stats for a guy who seemed to carry Michigan's offense by himself: 6.1 yards an attempt, which is bad. Add in two interceptions and it's very bad. Add in a disastrous fumbled snap and... it is not better. That did not make things better. </p>
<p>One of the interceptions was not his fault. Speight IDed Chesson open behind a picket fence zone and threw it to him; Raekwon McMillian, who got in scot free, intervened before he could complete his throwing motion. It's just crap luck the ball went directly to a defender. </p>
<p>The other INT and the fumble are directly on Speight, with Cole maybe factoring in on the fumble. On the one hand, those lost the game. On the other, Michigan was in position to win it because Speight was calm, accurate, and brave. </p>
<p><strong>No deep shots</strong>. Part of the reason Michigan's YPA was so low was a total lack of deep balls. A sail route completion to Jake Butt for 22 yards was Michigan's longest gain of the day, and a fair chunk of that was yards after the catch. I have to assume that was due to Speight's injury. Either he couldn't get the necessary oomph on deep balls or Michigan was loathe to expose him to the OSU pass rush because they feared he would get knocked out. </p>
<p><strong>Just not enough</strong>. The one position group that was clearly overwhelmed was the offensive line. Smith and Evans combined to average under three yards a carry, and most of that was on the OL unable to generate much of anything. </p>
<p>This was a Hoke legacy Harbaugh was unable to overcome. Whatever improvements Michigan was able to generate in their senior trio did not get them to All Big Ten levels, let alone All America, with the possible exception of Erik Magnuson. (My opinion: meh, but depending on the NFL scout you listen to he's apparently got a chance.) When Grant Newsome, a true sophomore, got knocked out for the year a true freshman replaced him. There was zero depth behind the starters and that bit hard as Ben Bredeson struggled, as true freshmen tend to. </p>
<p>This was partially bad luck. The nature of Logan Tuley-Tillman's departure could not be predicted. It was partially terrible evaluation. Michigan passed on LSU All-American Ethan Pocic because they thought they were full, then took Dan Samuelson towards the end of the cycle. Samuelson quit football soon after realizing he was overmatched in year two. It was partially a lack of ruthlessness: Chris Fox had a terrible knee injury that made him unlikely to work out in college and Michigan still took him. Fox did transition to a medical scholarship relatively quickly, but Michigan didn't react to his inability to play quickly enough. It was partially crappy coaching, because Hoke. </p>
<p>The tackles pass-protected well, though. </p>
<p><strong>Aaargh</strong>. Michigan's offset draw worked to near perfection except for one thing. Higdon did not cut behind Cole.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Man, 1 wrong cut makes a world of difference. </p>
<p>FOLLOW THE WALL OF FRIENDLY BUTTS. </p>
<p>Higdon should've cut off Cole's ass. <a href="https://t.co/V6LE3v2sie">pic.twitter.com/V6LE3v2sie</a></p>
<p> — Due (@JDue51) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDue51/status/803079336253267968">November 28, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p>That's a huge, huge gain otherwise. </p>
<p><strong>Smith did not flatten the fishing village</strong>. While we're complaining about running backs, Malik Hooker twice hewed down De'Veon Smith in ways I did not think were possible for a safety. The first turned out to be a game changing play, as it came when Smith busted to the second level on a goal-to-go carry. As he did so I thought &quot;YES!!!&quot; because surely this was a touchdown; surely I had seen sufficient Smith-versus-secondary matchups to know that the two safeties coming in at an angle had precious little chance to shut Smith down without YAC. </p>
<p>And yet, Hooker did. Speight fumbled on the ensuing snap. That tackle is the play of the game, along with all the other ones. </p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/30467196743_6f3ee865ea_z.jpg"><img title="30467196743_6f3ee865ea_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="30467196743_6f3ee865ea_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/30467196743_6f3ee865ea_z_thumb.jpg" width="564" height="377" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Patrick Barron]</em></p>
<p><strong>Perry had a solid day</strong>. Grant Perry hadn't had much impact this year, in part due to a mid-season suspension. Against OSU he was open repeatedly and hit for several critical third down conversions. I expect his role will grow considerably next year as Jake Butt's third down skills head to the NFL. </p>
<h3>DEFENSE</h3>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/30889334550_cc79eb4c0f_z.jpg"><img title="30889334550_cc79eb4c0f_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="30889334550_cc79eb4c0f_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/30889334550_cc79eb4c0f_z_thumb.jpg" width="564" height="378" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Upchurch]</em></p>
<p><strong>Can't ask for more</strong>. Michigan's defense gave up approximately ten points in regulation. OSU had three field goal drives, two of which their kicker missed, and turned first and ten from the fifteen into a touchdown with assistance from a personal foul on Harbaugh. OSU averaged under 4 yards a play. </p>
<p><strong>Confusion even in game 12</strong>. Only two things even slightly ground the ol' gears. One of them was Michigan's confusion at various points during the game. OSU motion was all too frequently met with cabinet meetings amongst the Michigan secondary. </p>
<p>A four-man box against an empty set could not have been correct; it resulted in a 41-yard Barrett draw/scramble. Noah Brown was provided a free first down late in the game when Michigan put two DBs over three WRs. A couple other times Michigan did not get aligned; those instances did not have straight lines between tempo and success but there was a definite correlation. Michigan's rampant pass rush was most frequently nerfed when Michigan could not get set up and fire off on the snap. </p>
<p>I spent the first half of this year cautioning about Don Brown's significant year one costs and hoping they would get fixed over the course of the season. They did. Michigan busts dropped to normal levels by midseason, and whatever confusion they suffered they issued as well. That was the case in this game; I still got a bit frustrated at various ??? moments on OSU motion. </p>
<p><strong>The other thing that rankled</strong>. OSU's final drive of regulation did not see Michigan solve their problems with aggression. On one level, I get it. You've been dominant, Barrett's rattled, you're up three. It's a situation where caution is called for early. Once OSU hits midfield it's time to get aggressive, especially since Barrett has done so poorly with pressure. Michigan did not amp it up; they rushed four, played zone, and generally abandoned the approach that had seen them dominate three quarters of the game.</p>
<p>I've defended Harbaugh's approach in a number of games this year, and still think the Lloydball stuff from the offense was justified given game contexts. I absolutely do not get Michigan's passivity on the final drive. I mean, I do. I've seen it time and again.&#160; I was hoping for something else.</p>
<p><strong>Mone with a big play</strong>. Bryan Mone's hype petered out thanks to an early season injury; when he did play he was unimpressive, which stoked worries for next year. Watching him obliterate an OSU OL to stuff a third and short Weber run was the best and biggest play of his career to date; hopefully he can follow up on that next year. </p>
<h3>SPECIAL TEAMS</h3>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/31223421896_f7bf861bab_z.jpg"><img title="31223421896_f7bf861bab_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="31223421896_f7bf861bab_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/31223421896_f7bf861bab_z_thumb.jpg" width="564" height="378" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Upchurch]</em></p>
<p><strong>PUNTAGEDDON</strong>. Put Indiana's punter on either of these teams and this is a 20-point game. Instead, Ron Coluzzi battled Ron Coluzzi atop Mount Puntlympus. Kenny Allen averaged 47 yards a kick with a 67-yarder and five punts inside the 20 against just one touchback, that on a super-long punt. OSU got one return in for two yards. </p>
<p>Cameron Johnston matched him with an average of 46 a pop, a long of 60, and one Peppers return for five yards. He also got run into, so he's got that going for him. </p>
<p>I can't wait to see the PFF grades. They might be positive. </p>
<p><strong>They should get rid of running into the kicker</strong>. Roughing should stay. Every running into the kicker penalty I've seen is glancing contact that endangers nobody. Most of them feature the punter falling over theatrically. Running into the kicker is like the five-yard facemask penalty they got rid of a few years ago and should meet the same fate. </p>
<p><strong>Jordan Glasgow, special teams, uh, specialist</strong>. The aftermath of OSU's fake punt was fascinating, as it quickly became apparent that Urban Meyer told the ESPN crew that they were going to going to run it against a certain Michigan formation no matter what. They got the formation, they ran it, and Jordan Glasgow stoned it. Glasgow set up outside, got off a block, got held, still got off that block, and make a tackle with help from Chris Wormley to turn OSU over on downs. </p>
<p>That was the most spectacular but far from the only excellent special teams play Glasgow's made over the last couple years. He's made a habit of hewing down kick returners. I wouldn't entirely rule him out from playing time on defense next year. 1) Is Glasgow, 2) you don't make that kind of consistent impact on special teams without being able to read a play and take on a block. </p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/31130671662_2e547d2f57_z.jpg"><img title="31130671662_2e547d2f57_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="31130671662_2e547d2f57_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/31130671662_2e547d2f57_z_thumb.jpg" width="564" height="319" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Barron]</em></p>
<p><strong>Peppers: quite good</strong>. His kick return to Ohio State territory after the pick six might have stood as Michigan's play of the game in the event of a win. Jourdan Lewis had a momentarily dangerous but ultimately unsuccessful KOR of his own on the last play of regulation, and for a second there I thought Peppers was running to get in a pitch relationship with Lewis; instead he blocked a guy. </p>
<h3>MISCELLANEOUS</h3>
<p><strong>At least we looked good</strong>. Can't say the same about OSU's rollerball-ass helmets. </p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/30457264063_14e003bd3f_z.jpg"><img title="30457264063_14e003bd3f_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="30457264063_14e003bd3f_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/143f8607a845_14642/30457264063_14e003bd3f_z_thumb.jpg" width="564" height="378" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Fuller]</em></p>
<p>This will console me. Yes. </p>
<p><strong>Harbaugh was wrong about the facemask</strong>. Michigan was confused about the aftermath of the Cole facemask call, which ended up as a third and five instead of a first and ten. They were forced to call timeout, and Harbaugh got mad, which eventually ended up in that PF. </p>
<p>In this, at least, the refs were correct. The penalty was a live-ball foul. When it's a live-ball foul the ball is placed where it is after the penalty and then you either give or do not give the first down. If it was a dead ball foul, Michigan would have gotten the ball where Smith went out of bounds minus 15 yards and had first and ten. (This remains one of the oddest rules in football.)</p>
<p>I can only assume that Harbaugh thought the personal foul was something unsportsmanlike after the play because he'd never even thought a screen could see an OL attack the facemask of an opponent. I sure as hell didn't believe it until I saw it. </p>
<p><strong>I don't think Michigan should get in the playoff</strong>. They are one of the four best teams. That shouldn't be enough. The committee needs to prioritize making regular season games really count or the whole fury of the regular season descends into a tepid simmer. I fully approve of the focus on championships and hope it would take something extraordinary for a non-champ to get in. </p>
<p>I'd go so far as to assert that Ohio State should not get in over Penn State. If Washington, Clemson, PSU, and Bama win their title games the playoff should be Bama, Clemson, Washington, and Penn State, in that order. </p>
<h3>HERE </h3>
<p>As mentioned, I think Santy's diary on the spot <a href="http://mgoblog.com/diaries/resolving-parallax-error">is the best possible analysis of a razor-close call</a>. </p>
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/diaries/best-and-worst-osu-3">Best And Worst</a>: </p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Worst:&#160; What Do You Think?</strong></p>
<p><img src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zncz2ZjmOdw/hqdefault.jpg" /></p>
<p>I'm broken.&#160; I mean, not in a real sense:&#160; I'm a grown-ass man with two kids, a beautiful wife, a fulfilling career, and my health (largely) still intact.&#160; I don't have to worry about violent uprisings, disease, radioactive mosquitos, or <a href="https://youtu.be/OfPWpEKhgfk">alien invaders</a>.&#160; In the grand scheme of things, I'm doing fine. </p>
<p>But in sports terms, I'm as broken as <a href="https://youtu.be/bGG0Zyl27_w">Jeff Jarrett's guitar</a>.&#160; I guess I should be used to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/11/30/5160702/michigan-ohio-state-results-game-recap">these</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Michigan_vs._Ohio_State_football_game">types</a> of games against OSU, but I'm not.&#160; Games decided by last-second stands, crucial penalties, and terrible officiating are the norm in college sports, but it's only &quot;chaos&quot; when your passive bystander; when it's one of your teams, it's heartbreak.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Sten Carlson <a href="http://mgoblog.com/diaries/24-months-ago-some-perspective">tries to offer some perspective</a>: </p>
<blockquote><p>I am usually not much for &quot;Perspective Posts&quot; after a loss, but in this instance I think it might be helpful.</p>
<p>24 months ago Michigan was sitting at 5-7 overall, and 3-5 in the Big 10.&#160; Let that sink in for a moment ... and if it doesn't, continue reading.</p>
<p>Michigan started out with a hopeful 52-10 blowout of FCS App. St, only to follow it up with an embarassing 31-0 loss to ND in the last game of that storied rivalry.&#160; Following this humilation, Michigan returned home to face the Miami (OH) Redhawks, whom they dispatched 34-10.&#160; Ok, the ND game was an anomoly, just a bad game, we can overcome it, right?&#160; Nope, the Utah Utes march into the Big House and promptly laid a 26-10 beatdown upon our beloved Wolverines. </p>
<p>Just went we thought things could not possibly get any worse, it seemed Hoke (and likely Brandon) had been listening to the fanbase's collective uproar for Shane Morris to replace Devin Gardner, and well ... it did not end well ... a 30-14 loss to Minnesota and of the oldest trophy in college football, Concussion-Gate, and another complete embarassment to the once proud program.</p>
<p>This was rock bottom, right?&#160; Could it get worse than 2-3 and having Concussion-Gate splashed all over the media?&#160; How's about a 26-24 loss to Rutgers (I mean seriously, FUCKING RUTGERS!!!!) in which we make the Scarlet Knights' inept QB look like freakin' Joe Tom Brady Montana as a salve for those wounds?&#160; This HAD to be rock bottom, right?&#160; Sitting at 2-4, and 0-2 in the Big 10, a ray of hope appeared through the clouds as Michigan was (somehow) able to knock off PSU 18-13, in kinda-sorta-not-so-much convincing fashion.&#160; Hail, Hail ... a conference win!</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/diaries/state-our-open-threads-after-ohio-state">The State of our Open Threads</a>: </p>
<blockquote><p>Let's start with something that won't shock anyone at all - we reached a season high for &quot;fuck&quot; and indeed, an all-time high for the four seasons that we've been going through this analysis now. No Ohio State game before yesterday, or indeed any game, can say that it resulted in 785 fucks in a game thread. That blows out the previous record, which was the Iowa game a couple week ago. It was also a season-high for shits given at 228, and that is also a high for shits given in the entire time that this analysis has been done. That won't shock anyone, or course - that was the most consequential game we have played in a long time, and I can only imagine the fucks and shits said aloud and off the record. I may have even contributed to the off the record total myself.....a lot. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>CFP <a href="http://mgoblog.com/diaries/objective-analysis-cfp-contenders">contenders breakdown</a>. Going to take a lot. </p>
<h3>ELSEWHERE</h3>
<p>Fuuuuuuuu. Michigan's <a href="http://www.footballstudyhall.com/pages/2016-michigan-advanced-statistical-profile">win expectancy</a>, per S&amp;P+: 83%. </p>
<p><a href="http://genuinelysarcastic.blogspot.com/2016/11/burial-on-presidio-banks.html">Genuinely Sarcastic</a> has the various ref outrages catalogued. Bill Connelly <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/11/28/13762442/ohio-state-michigan-game-2016-final-score-results?utm_campaign=sbn_billc&amp;utm_content=chorus&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">on the game</a>, if you can go back over it some more. Why the playoff <a href="http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18152730/why-four-teams-perfect-college-football-playoff">should stick at four</a>. <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2016/11/michigan_was_better_but_ohio_s.html">RIP Doug Lesmerises's mentions</a>. PFF <a href="https://www.profootballfocus.com/college-football-michigan-ohio-state-grades-buckeyes-grind-out-2ot-victory/?utm_content=buffer44bf7&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=college">grades</a>: </p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Jekyll and Hyde from Wolverines offense</strong></p>
<p>One of the big questions entering the game was where the Wolverines would generate offensive production from; would they need to play 30 snaps with Jabrill Peppers at quarterback? Ultimately, they didn’t and they exceeded many expectations for their production but came up short in key moments to clinch their victory their performance deserved. Amara Darboh came up with some big catches, including the overtime TD shaking Marshon Lattimore at the line to get open, but he dropped a pair of passes. Similarly, the ground game was nothing more than steady, keeping the Ohio State defense honest but failing to rip off more than one play of ten yards or more. Will this valiant defeat be enough to keep the Wolverines in the playoff picture?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Kyle Kalis and Tyrone Wheatley made the top five with grades of 54. Ugly all around. </p>
<p><a href="http://mvictors.com/why-youre-michigan-dr-saps-decals/">Dr. Sap</a>. <a href="http://touch-the-banner.com/ohio-state-30-michigan-27/">TTB</a>. <a href="http://holdintherope.blogspot.com/2016/11/michigan-wolverines-ohio-state-buckeyes-big-ten-college-football-jim-harbaugh-urban-meyer.html">Holdin' the Rope</a>: </p>
<blockquote><p>Never underestimate the rivalry's ability to find that spot, the one that hurts the most. A well-placed nudge to the unsuspecting elicits a yowl, a yelp, a cringing collapse on the floor.</p>
<p>Just when you thought the rivalry couldn't yield a more painful outcome, it did on Saturday, when No. 2 Ohio State bested No. 3 Michigan, 30-27, in double overtime. It was the first overtime game in the history of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, and thus presented Michigan with a chance to lose in a new way.</p>
<p>When the game ended, I quietly checked my phone for 10 minutes, taking in reactions from around the internet, positive and negative. But, eventually, I wondered if this game was even worth the consternation.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://hooverstreetrag.blogspot.com/2016/11/wrongs-darker-then-death-or-night.html">Hoover Street Rag</a>: </p>
<blockquote><p>In retrospect, they should have gone for two.&#160; Speight wanted it.&#160; It would have met with widespread approbation, win or lose, like a similar decision <a href="http://hooverstreetrag.blogspot.com/2013/12/valiant.html">three years ago</a>.&#160; The defense was gassed because of the offense, led by the wounded Wilton Speight; one that managed five meager yards in the fourth quarter.&#160; They had just found Amara Darboh in the back of the end zone at the end of the first overtime period.&#160; But they did not, putting the game back on the offense and it nearly worked until Grant Perry was mugged on third down, forcing Michigan to settle for a field goal.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2016/11/michigan_being_projected_for_t.html">Orange Bowl</a> the current best guess as to the bowl game. FSU or Louisville are potential matchups. <a href="http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2016/11/jim_harbaugh_rips_officials_sa.html">Same</a>. Embarrassed? Embarrassing <a href="http://mvictors.com/1452/">would have been 3-9</a>. </p>
http://mgoblog.com/content/no-damn-reason-all#comments2016 ohio stateben gedeonbryan monedeveon smithgame columnsgrant perryjordan glasgowkaran higdonkenny allenmike mccraytaco charltonwilton speightMon, 28 Nov 2016 18:06:09 +0000Brian112381 at http://mgoblog.comOhio State Postgame Presser: Playershttp://mgoblog.com/content/ohio-state-postgame-presser-players-0
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30897028460_d5cda1dde0_z.jpg"><img title="30897028460_d5cda1dde0_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="30897028460_d5cda1dde0_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30897028460_d5cda1dde0_z_thumb.jpg" width="186" height="125" /></a><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/31144915171_12e070f928_z.jpg"><img title="31144915171_12e070f928_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="31144915171_12e070f928_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/31144915171_12e070f928_z_thumb.jpg" width="186" height="125" /></a><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/31142601291_c9c201127c_z.jpg"><img title="31142601291_c9c201127c_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="31142601291_c9c201127c_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/31142601291_c9c201127c_z_thumb.jpg" width="186" height="125" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Fuller/Upchurch]</em></p>
<p><strong><em>Khalid Hill, Wilton Speight, Kenny Allen</em></strong></p>
<p><strong>Wilton, what was the preparation process like for you going into this game?</strong></p>
<p>“Same amount of preparation as any game in terms of football. Just had more recovery stuff to get back for this game.”</p>
<p><strong>At this point, you had them, seemed to be on the ropes, just a couple mistakes--</strong></p>
<p><em>WS: </em>“Yeah, that’s pretty disappointing. Game of this magnitude, the fight that we’ve put in as a team together since last January after the bowl game, it all came down to this game. The Game. The way it played out, incredible game, but came up short.”</p>
<p><strong>Khalid, describe what you were a part of here today. You had two touchdowns. Just describe what this game was like for you.</strong></p>
<p>“I struggled. Got stopped on the goal line, then Coach called on me again to go do it again. Just shows the trust he has in his players. It’s not about my success, though. We wanted to get it done as a team and fell short. Got to keep our heads up and keep moving.”</p>
<p><strong>A lot of self-inflicted wounds today. What do you guys take out of that and what do you make of it?</strong></p>
<p><em>WS</em>: “Yeah, I made a couple mistakes in the game. Unfortunate to get my hand hit when I was throwing out of the end zone, which resulted in a pick-six. Then trying to force another ball into too tight of a window. But yeah.”</p>
<p><strong>[Hit THE JUMP for more]</strong></p>
<a name="more"></a><!--break--><!--break--><p><strong>What was the mindset after you guys scored in the first overtime to come back and tie it? What’s going through your minds then?</strong></p>
<p><em>WS</em>: “That we just need to do that again in the second overtime. We were not able to do that. Kenny made a good field goal. Pretty sure the defense made a stop, but they didn’t according to the replay. Just came up a little short.”</p>
<p><strong>Did the shoulder make it tougher to throw as the game wore on?</strong></p>
<p><em>WS</em>: “Coach has a strict policy about not talking about injuries. The trainers and the doctors and everyone did their part to get me ready to go for this game.”</p>
<p><strong>Can you put a percentage on what you were today?</strong></p>
<p><em>WS:</em> “No. I don’t look into that. I don’t think about that.”</p>
<p><strong>Do you all believe you played well enough to win today?</strong></p>
<p><em>WS: </em>“Absolutely.”</p>
<p><strong>Do you feel like you won? Feel like you got a little robbed on the spot?</strong></p>
<p><em>KH:</em> “I mean, it happens in a game. Same calls are not made. Some plays you think, oh, we won it, and then the ref calls something different, but it happens in every football game. Got to be able to play the next play. But like I said, fell short as a team and we’ll get past it.”</p>
<p><strong>Wilton, did you want to go for two after the touchdown [in OT]?</strong></p>
<p>“Yeah, it crossed my mind. I flashed the two up; you guys probably saw that. Probably the smarter play to go for one.”</p>
<p><strong>Wilton, you guys were up 17-7 and seemed to be in control of the game. How difficult was this to take knowing you were in control of the game for such a long time?</strong></p>
<p>“Yeah, uh, it’s a bummer. I feel like I let the defense down for the game that they played. It stings. But we had opportunities throughout the rest of the game and we were able to capitalize on in the first overtime. In the second overtime…I’m not going to get into the calls that the refs were making. I’ll leave it there.”</p>
<p><strong>You guys lost to Ohio State last year as well, but circumstances feel different this time with you guys in the top five. Does the loss feel different or is it the same?</strong></p>
<p><em>KH</em>: “It always sucks to lose to Ohio State. It’s a rivalry game. You want to come out on top, but, I mean, we lost.”</p>
<p><strong>Kenny, did you take anything away from that? The performance, the way the team played, how you pushed [?] them?</strong></p>
<p>“Yeah, when my name’s called upon I think I have one job so go out and do it. I know we didn’t capitalize on every single punt, but the team fought today. I’m proud of them. Like Wilton said, we lost and we had chances to capitalize where we didn’t.”</p>
<p><strong>Wilton, it looked like Grant was grabbed and almost tackled on the last [offensive] play in the second overtime. What did you see on that?</strong></p>
<p>“I’m sure a lot of people saw that, but…yeah.”</p>
<p><strong>Wilton, are these the two best teams in the Big Ten?</strong></p>
<p>“Yeah, absolutely. With Alabama, maybe in the country. I don’t know how it’s all going to shake out with the committee and all that. I’m sure our chances are slim to none now, but it’s a bummer that we don’t get another shot at those guys this year.”</p>
<p><strong>Do you think you deserve a playoff shot?</strong></p>
<p><em>WS</em>: “Yes.”</p>
<p><em>KH: </em>“Definitely.”</p>
<p><em>WS:</em> “Definitely believe that. You saw Iowa turn it around; they beat Nebraska yesterday. That was just a weird game, a weird night. Then you see two heavyweight teams go into double overtime. I think that speaks volumes for a chance at the playoffs.”</p>
<p><strong>On the fumble, Wilton, did you just pull out too soon?</strong></p>
<p><em>WS</em>: “Yeah, I mean, I think there was a little miscommunication with the crowd noise. I should have stayed in there longer knowing that there might be problems with how loud it was, so yeah, that’s on me.”</p>
<p><strong>How do you characterize the season now? Is it a failure now or is it still a success?</strong></p>
<p><em>KH</em>: “I mean, we work hard as a team. The work we put in as a team doesn’t amount to one loss. You can’t have one loss be your season. We lost to Iowa and we moved on. We lost to Ohio State today and we’ll move on. We won’t let one loss define us. Yes, it sucks losing to Ohio State, but one loss will not define us as a team.”</p>
http://mgoblog.com/content/ohio-state-postgame-presser-players-0#comments2016 ohio statekenny allenkhalid hillpress conference transcriptswilton speightactual reportingMon, 28 Nov 2016 15:16:02 +0000Adam Schnepp112369 at http://mgoblog.comOhio State Postgame Presser: Jim Harbaughhttp://mgoblog.com/content/ohio-state-postgame-presser-jim-harbaugh-0
<p><img alt="" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5593/31120558062_298bac75bb_b.jpg" style="width: 550px; height: 367px;" /></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Bryan Fuller]</em></p>
<p align="left"><strong>What&rsquo;s your view of the last spot there before the touchdown?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;That it wasn&rsquo;t a first down by that much.&rdquo; [<em>holds hands apart about eight inches]</em></p>
<p align="left"><strong>So you agreed with the call, then?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;That it was <em>not</em> a first down. The officiating, I&rsquo;m bitterly disappointed with the officiating today. That spot&mdash;the graphic display is the interference penalties. The one not called on us when Grant Perry clearly was being hooked before the ball got there, and the previous penalty called on Delano Hill, the ball&rsquo;s uncatchable and <em>by</em> the receiver. So yeah, I&rsquo;m bitterly disappointed in the officiating. Can&rsquo;t make that any more clear.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left">[<em>Ed. A- The second Harbaugh used &ldquo;bitterly&rdquo; I knew that I&rsquo;d heard that word spoken with the exact same inflection before. I realized about the time we were leaving the stadium that Harbaugh said it the way Bo did in the archival footage used in Tiebreaker. Watch through 33:38 if you can stomach it.]</em></p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S95Q4LIei_M?start=1966" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p align="left"><strong>[After THE JUMP: the most bizarre explanation for a personal foul I have ever heard]</strong></p>
<a name="more"></a><!--break--><!--break--><p align="left"><strong>I misunderstood--</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;My view of the first down was that it was that short [<em>holds hands apart about eight inches</em>].&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>How do you feel this game affects the rivalry?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Right now it&rsquo;s not on my mind. It&rsquo;s what I said.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Do you feel that your team deserved to win?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;I thought our guys have worked incredibly hard. They have done everything that they could, and they&rsquo;ve done it so very well. I&rsquo;m very proud of our players, yes.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Did you consider going for two?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Two penalties all day. Multiple holding penalties let go. Multiple false starts. The official on my side who&rsquo;s supposed to be watching that is concerned with whether our coaches are in the white or not in the white. Not on the field. Their coaches were on the field [and] practically in the huddle at times. Yeah, I&rsquo;m bitter.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Did you consider going for two after the touchdown in overtime?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;No. Considered it, considered and decided to kick the extra point.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Do you think there&rsquo;s any shot at getting into the playoff with two losses?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Do you think you deserve to be in the playoff?</strong></p>
<p align="left">[<em>chuckles</em>] &ldquo;I told you what I think. Thought our guys did everything they possibly could. Bitterly disappointed with the officiating. That&rsquo;s how I feel right now.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Jim, when did you know Wilton would go and can you talk about his play other than the big turnovers?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Yeah, um, doctors had cleared him to practice this week. He was chomping at the bit to go. He showed that he was functional right up to the level that he&rsquo;s been playing at all year. After he practiced on Tuesday, Wednesday, made the decision that he would start.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>What did you say to your team when you got in the locker room right after? I&rsquo;m sure it was a very disappointed group. What did you say to them?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Same things I&rsquo;ve said to you.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Disappointed in the officiating.</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;And the other thing before that. Very proud of our team. This group has worked incredibly hard. Done everything they possibly could do, and they&rsquo;ve done it so very well. Very proud of our team. That&rsquo;s what I told them.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Despite the officiating, are these the two best teams in the Big Ten?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Uh, I don&rsquo;t know.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Defensively, you did a really good job of holding right up until the fourth quarter, then they got some things going. What were you able to do so well defensively, and did anything change from what you saw in the fourth quarter?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Yeah, I mean, I thought we were doing a heck of a job. They got a gift interference call. A gift. The ball was uncatchable, <em>past</em> the receiver, when our guy, Delano Hill, made contact. And then fast forward to overtime, second overtime, Grant Perry is getting hooked, turned before the ball gets there. I think that really benefitted them, that gift interference penalty.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Do you feel you lost this game or had it taken from you?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know. What do you think? That&rsquo;s what I think. As I said, bitterly disappointed in the officiating.</p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;So concerned about&mdash;could have been watching the game instead of being concerned about throwing a&mdash;what, did you throw a hat? Throw your script toward your sideline? That&rsquo;s a penalty? I asked him that and he said, &lsquo;Well, it is in basketball.&rsquo; I go, &lsquo;Well, this isn&rsquo;t basketball.&rsquo; He told me he officiates basketball. I don&rsquo;t know the relevance. He said it would have been a technical in basketball. Yeah, I&rsquo;m bitter.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>It&rsquo;s gonna be tough to make the playoff. What would you say, what would your case be to get your team in there?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;We make our case on the field. I&rsquo;m not here to make any arguments or any cases. I feel like our team has done everything they possibly could do and done it very well.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Could you talk about Kenny Allen today and how big he came up for you?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Yeah, Kenny was really outstanding, especially that last punt. Kickoffs were great. Field goals were great. He played as well as he possibly can play.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Jim, you&rsquo;ve been in a lot of big games. Can you remember a time where you came out of a game feeling like this about the officiating and the outcome?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Yeah, I can remember a few other times. Not to this level, though.</p>
<p align="left">[<em>SID points to next reporter, reporter almost starts to ask question</em>]</p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Felt like there were some outrageous calls, including the one that would have ended the game. They had a good camera angle on it, ball doesn&rsquo;t make it to the line. Gave &lsquo;em a first down.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Before the announcement that that call was upheld, did you ever get a good look at it before it was actually announced on review?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Uh, our guys in the box were seeing it. I was seeing it on the big screen. You guys were seeing it on TV. What&rsquo;d you see?&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left">[<em>someone whispers &lsquo;Short&rsquo;</em>]</p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Short? What&rsquo;d you see?&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Short.</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Short. It&rsquo;s outrageous.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Your defense played so well for much of the game, really dominated at stages. Does that add to the disappointment that it looked like you had control of the game?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Yeah, I thought we were&mdash;I thought we did a heck of a job defensively. Got a gift interference call. You see that one? We&rsquo;re probably just gonna keep beating a dead horse here because you know how I feel. Don&rsquo;t know where else we can go with this.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left">&nbsp;</p>
http://mgoblog.com/content/ohio-state-postgame-presser-jim-harbaugh-0#comments2016 ohio stateactual coaches' opinionsjim harbaughjim harbaugh as great white sharkjim harbaugh inspires hot takesjim harbaugh is mildly peevedkenny allenpress conference transcriptswilton speightactual reportingSun, 27 Nov 2016 16:02:42 +0000Adam Schnepp112322 at http://mgoblog.comEverywhere And Nowhere At Allhttp://mgoblog.com/content/everywhere-and-nowhere-all
<p><strong>11/19/2016 &ndash; Michigan 20, Indiana 10 &ndash; 10-1, 7-1 Big Ten</strong></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30978029632_92eeca6d6a_z.jpg"><img alt="30978029632_92eeca6d6a_z" border="0" height="378" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30978029632_92eeca6d6a_z_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="30978029632_92eeca6d6a_z" width="564" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Bryan Fuller]</em></p>
<p>When Midwestern Football Weather looms, there is only one priority for the experienced fan: please, not sleet. The heavens can aim at my head with golf-ball-sized hail as long as the precipitation is of the form that can be dodged or shaken off. The icy needle stuff that penetrates anything short of a spaceship hull is decidedly not preferred.</p>
<p>That&#39;s what we got in 2008, figuratively and literally. The infamous Fandom Endurance III game against Northwestern that sent Michigan to 3-7, guaranteeing no bowl bid for the first time in 40-some years, was played in a driving sleet that is bar-none the worst weather I&#39;ve ever experienced at a game. I imagine the only competition available is that Purdue game from the 90s that ended 5-0; I was not present.</p>
<p>At halftime of 2008 Northwestern the sleet sent me to the concourse in the hope the pretzel machines could restore some feeling to my hands. They could not. <a href="http://mgoblog.com/content/perverse-joy-abject-stupidity">And yet</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>This is how weird it&#39;s been of late: as I huddled near a pretzel contraption at halftime of a game between 3-7 Michigan and Northwestern, soaked, frozen, pondering the grim futility of all things, I discovered that I was sort of enjoying this. Yeah, sure, you had to peel back layer upon layer of misery to get to the morbidly sunny core. But it was there.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That column is staggeringly old now, especially for Michigan fans who aged in dog years during the RichRod era and in you-chose-the-wrong-grail years during the Hoke/Brandon double-barrel fiasco. By the stuttering end of Hoke&#39;s tenure I was referencing that column only to repudiate it, my goodwill stripped to the bone and pecked at by Brandon in case there was any seat-cushion related morsel he could take from me and give to himself.</p>
<p align="center">--------------------------</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/31007005351_0d67b3bff4_z.jpg"><img alt="31007005351_0d67b3bff4_z" border="0" height="378" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/31007005351_0d67b3bff4_z_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="31007005351_0d67b3bff4_z" width="564" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Eric Upchurch]</em></p>
<p>I don&#39;t know what&#39;s going to happen Saturday. John O&#39;Korn didn&#39;t look like a quarterback who could win against OHIO STATE, but Ohio State didn&#39;t look like the all-caps version of themselves in a one-point win over Michigan State, or a four-point win over Northwestern, or a loss to Penn State. I don&#39;t know if John O&#39;Korn is even going to play.</p>
<p>Having an Ohio State game hanging by a thread because of a quarterback problem is frustratingly familiar turf. Denard Robinson and Chad Henne literally could not throw their senior years; Devin Gardner played most of an OSU game on a broken foot; Drew Henson didn&#39;t even bother to play his senior season. It is brutal to have this defense and not know if they&#39;re going to have a chance because of yet another backup quarterback throwing a spanner in well-laid plans.</p>
<p>I spent large portions of that game playing Ohio State in my head. I&#39;ve been doing this since the end of the Wisconsin game, to be honest. I didn&#39;t like the results much, but I suppose neither did the sliver of the OSU fanbase capable of complex thought after the Buckeyes got outgained by 3-8 MSU.</p>
<p>I think about ten years ago, and how seismic that felt. It felt like the world would rise or fall based on the result of one goddamn game, and<em> how that was right</em>. And Saturday, and ugh, and can we get this over with.</p>
<p>Then the heavens opened up.</p>
<p align="center">-----------------------------</p>
<p>What people with no experience of winter fail to understand is its capacity for sheer beauty. Saturday&#39;s transient blizzard turned a football game into a kaleidoscope of lacy geometries. The individual flakes traced whorls across the sky, each brilliantly lit. As they began to stick the stadium brightened, and brightened, until it was glowing. Light bounced from white to white until it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.</p>
<p>I forgot about Speight&#39;s shoulder, and the looming nausea machine this weekend, and Twitter, and even the fucking red hat TV timeout guy. What looked dim from the outside was brilliant as mid-day on the interior. It is something I will not forget.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30978029212_f1cf9dd9ac_z.jpg"><img alt="30978029212_f1cf9dd9ac_z" border="0" height="378" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30978029212_f1cf9dd9ac_z_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="30978029212_f1cf9dd9ac_z" width="564" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Fuller]</em></p>
<p>110,000 people felt that same lift. Maybe they weren&#39;t thinking quite as far back in the sleety past as I was, but they knew the difference between then, and now. Someone started chanting &quot;BEAT OHIO,&quot; and thousands more took it up, as Michigan marched out a victory lit by a sun of a their own devising.</p>
<p>One game to change it all. Saturday.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>
<strong>HIGHLIGHTS</strong></h3>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CKfr8JGZUoQ" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://mgovideo.com/2016-michigan-vs-indiana-highlights/">Full suite</a> from MGoVideo.</p>
<h3>
<strong>AWARDS</strong></h3>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/31007048731_149a552dd0_z.jpg"><img alt="31007048731_149a552dd0_z" border="0" height="378" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/31007048731_149a552dd0_z_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="31007048731_149a552dd0_z" width="564" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Upchurch]</em></p>
<p><strong>Known Friends And Trusted Agents Of The Week</strong></p>
<p><img align="right" alt="-2535ac8789d1b499[1]" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/images/537fc4d56c20_9177/-2535ac8789d1b4991f1c37dee-a502-44d9-94ed-bee425f87474.jpg" style="float: right; display: inline" /><em>you&#39;re the man now, dog</em></p>
<p><strong>#1 De&#39;Veon Smith</strong> had more than half of Michigan&#39;s yards and more or less produced all their points. On one particular short yardage run he ran directly over safety Tony Fields, causing him to eject an object that was either his mouthpiece, tooth, or soul. Fields kept coming, and Smith kept turning him into mulch.</p>
<p><strong>#2 Taco Charlton </strong>collected 2.5 TFLs and created several more by driving his man deep into the backfield. He has been virtually unstoppable as a pass rusher; this was his best outing against the run. And now his ankle&#39;s 100%. Look out, world.</p>
<p><strong>#3 Jourdan Lewis</strong> had three pass breakups and only gave up one of the two completions he ceded because it was in a blizzard and he was giving up ten yards on purpose. He had a couple of important PBUs on third down slants that booted Indiana off the field.</p>
<p><strong>Honorable mention: </strong>Channing Stribling gave up one completion for 20 yards or so but had his share of PBUs and solid coverage; Ryan Glasgow was an interior terror; the offensive line in general blew up what had been a very good rush defense. Dymonte Thomas had an <a href="https://twitter.com/JDue51/status/800177631295512576">impressive thunk</a> to prevent a drag route from converting a third down and had one of those PBUs where I have to check to make sure that he&#39;s not Lewis.</p>
<p><strong>KFaTAotW Standings.</strong></p>
<p><strong>10:</strong> <strong>Wilton Speight</strong> (#1 UCF, #1 Illinois, #3 MSU, #1 Maryland)<br />
<strong>9: Jabrill Peppers</strong>(T2, Hawaii; #3 UCF, #1 Colorado, #2 Rutgers, #2 MSU)<br />
<strong>7</strong>: <strong>Taco Charlton</strong>(three-way T1, PSU, same vs Rutgers, #3 Maryland, #2 Iowa, #2 Indiana).<br />
<strong>5:</strong> <strong>Ryan Glasgow</strong>(#2 UCF, #1 UW), <strong>Chris Wormley</strong> (three-way T1, PSU, same vs Rutgers, #1 Iowa).<br />
<strong>4: Jourdan Lewis</strong> (#3 UW, #2 Maryland, #3 Indiana).<br />
<strong>3.5</strong>: <strong>De&#39;Veon Smith</strong> (four-way T2, PSU, #1 Indiana).<br />
<strong>3:</strong> <strong>Mike McCray</strong>(#1, Hawaii), <strong>Ben Gedeon</strong>(#3 Colorado, #3 PSU, three-way T1 Rutgers), <strong>Amara Darboh</strong>(#1 MSU),<br />
<strong>2.5:</strong> <strong>Karan Higdon</strong>(four-way T2, PSU, #2 Illinois).<br />
<strong>2:</strong> <strong>Jake Butt</strong>(#2 Colorado), <strong>Kyle Kalis</strong> (#2 UW)<br />
<strong>1:</strong> <strong>Delano Hill</strong> (T2, Hawaii), <strong>Chris Evans</strong> (T3, Hawaii, four-way T2, PSU),&nbsp; <strong>Maurice Hurst</strong> (three-way T1, PSU),&nbsp; <strong>Devin Asiasi</strong>(#3 Rutgers), <strong>Ben Braden</strong> (#3 Illinois), <strong>Channing Stribling</strong> (#3 Iowa).<br />
<strong>0.5:</strong> <strong>Mason Cole</strong>(T3, Hawaii), <strong>Ty Isaac</strong> (four-way T2, PSU).</p>
<p><strong>Who&#39;s Got It Better Than Us Of The Week</strong></p>
<p><em>This week&#39;s best thing ever.</em></p>
<p>De&#39;Veon Smith stakes Michigan to a lead that felt much larger than three points.</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/225mQtP0Xvw" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>Also, shirtless men.</p>
<p><strong>Honorable mention: </strong>O&#39;Korn scrambles for 30 yards; Smith extends the lead to 10.</p>
<p><strong>WGIBTUs Past.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hawaii:</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/AceAnbender/status/772431903861407744">Laughter-inducing Peppers punt return</a>.<br />
<strong>UCF</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtQWBUu_TpU">Speight opens his Rex Grossman account</a>.<br />
<strong>Colorado</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kthqKgn7fQ">Peppers cashes it in</a>.<br />
<strong>PSU:</strong> <a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8316/29830963062_78e01c0a22_o.gif">Wormley&#39;s sack establishes a theme</a>.<br />
<strong>UW:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgE-FVZ77rs">Darboh puts Michigan ahead for good</a>.<br />
<strong>Rutgers</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TiDXmUGkRhk?start=7">Peppers presses &quot;on&quot;.</a><br />
<strong>Illinois:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=takOcvJmKMI">TRAIN 2.0</a>.<br />
<strong>MSU:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGPNPwqxeh0">lol, two points</a>.<br />
<strong>Maryland</strong>: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvDtjWjRM5I">very complicated bomb</a>.<br />
<strong>Iowa</strong>: The touchdown.<br />
<strong>Indiana:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=225mQtP0Xvw">Smith woodchips Michigan a lead</a>.</p>
<p><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="161" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/images/Game-Column_12C3/image.png" title="image" width="204" /><strong>MARCUS HALL EPIC DOUBLE BIRD OF THE WEEK</strong>.</p>
<p><em>This week&#39;s worst thing ever.</em></p>
<p>Indiana goes on a Legitimate Drive in the middle of the second quarter and takes the lead at a point where you&#39;re wondering if Michigan can actually score a touchdown of their own.</p>
<p><strong>Honorable mention</strong>: Various O&#39;Korn things; the back-to-back-to-back ludicrous catches to set up an Indiana FG.</p>
<p><strong>PREVIOUS EPIC DOUBLE BIRDs</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hawaii: </strong>Not Mone again.<br />
<strong>UCF</strong>: Uh, Dymonte, you may want to either tackle or at least lightly brush that guy.<br />
<strong>Colorado</strong>: Speight blindsided.<br />
<strong>PSU:</strong> Clark&#39;s noncontact ACL injury.<br />
<strong>UW</strong>: Newsome joins the ranks of the injured.<br />
<strong>Rutgers</strong>: you can&#39;t call back the Mona Lisa of punt returns, man.<br />
<strong>Illinois:</strong> They scored a what now? On Michigan? A touchdown?<br />
<strong>Michigan State:</strong> a terrifying first drive momentarily makes you think you&#39;re in the mirror universe.<br />
<strong>Maryland</strong>: Edge defense is a confirmed issue.<br />
<strong>Iowa</strong>: Kalis hands Iowa a safety.<br />
<strong>Indiana</strong>: A legitimate drive.</p>
<p><strong>[After THE JUMP: Quarterback fussin&#39;.]</strong></p>
<a name="more"></a><!--break--><!--break--><h3>
<strong>OFFENSE</strong></h3>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30298451954_577c1179d4_z.jpg"><img alt="30298451954_577c1179d4_z" border="0" height="378" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30298451954_577c1179d4_z_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="30298451954_577c1179d4_z" width="564" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Upchurch]</em></p>
<p><strong>In this instance I will advocate against Madden-oriented behavior</strong>. John O&#39;Korn&#39;s debut was exceptionally rough, and I don&#39;t think the weather had a ton to do with it. After a brief burst of snow early, things were cold but clear until the Winter Wonderland end of the game. Wind was a factor and may have taken a deep shot at Darboh past its intended target, but for the most part O&#39;Korn&#39;s problems were going to be problems even on a sunny 70 degree day.</p>
<p>Those included: balls well behind his receivers, a tendency to drift back in the pocket, and an inability to make quick decisions about where he should go with the ball. The waggle towards the beginning of Michigan&#39;s clock-draining fourth quarter drive was emblematic: O&#39;Korn had his fullback for an easy catch and run but did not pull the trigger, instead running for no yardage. (If that decision was a diabolical plan to get hit late, disregard this complaint.)</p>
<p>Also emblematic was a third-and-medium completion to Darboh. On that play&mdash;Darboh&#39;s only catch of the game&mdash;O&#39;Korn had run back 15 or 20 yards, so a completion that felt easily long enough to convert was in fact barely past the line of scrimmage and required a slick move from Darboh to pick up the requisite yardage. O&#39;Korn repeatedly vacated the pocket on absurdly deep drops; only once did he actually step up into pressure. That was kind of a big deal, though:</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PEKqKVU-XN0" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>On the next play De&#39;Veon Smith would put Michigan into the lead.</p>
<p>Some of the negative events weren&#39;t his problem&mdash;Drake Harris and Jake Butt fell down on potential completions. Enough of them were that I&#39;m dubious about Michigan&#39;s chances if Speight cannot return.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/31005110281_8a60968d85_z.jpg"><img alt="31005110281_8a60968d85_z" border="0" height="377" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/31005110281_8a60968d85_z_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="31005110281_8a60968d85_z" width="564" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Upchurch]</em></p>
<p align="left"><strong>Speight status</strong>. As you can see from Eric&#39;s shot above, Speight&#39;s warmups were a little unnatural. His shoulder issue is his non-throwing arm, so at least there&#39;s that. Speculation various places is that he could in fact play against OSU. Even if he can, would he be effective? What&#39;s the deal with Iowa Speight? Etc. The last two weeks have been deeply unfortunate for Michigan&#39;s quarterback situation.</p>
<p align="center"><strong><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/31125011785_3a260ffaf9_z.jpg"><img alt="31125011785_3a260ffaf9_z" border="0" height="378" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/31125011785_3a260ffaf9_z_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="31125011785_3a260ffaf9_z" width="564" /></a></strong></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Fuller]</em></p>
<p><strong>Poor damn Darboh</strong>. The above was the fifth time he was missed for a sure touchdown in the last two weeks. Last year&#39;s extrapolation of Late season Rudock onto Chesson&#39;s stats is equally applicable to Darboh this year.</p>
<p align="center"><strong><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30757521730_c84aec5531_z.jpg"><img alt="30757521730_c84aec5531_z" border="0" height="378" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30757521730_c84aec5531_z_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="30757521730_c84aec5531_z" width="564" /></a></strong></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Fuller]</em></p>
<p align="left"><strong>De&#39;Veon Smith, human woodchipper</strong>. Big Smith runs set up a Michigan field goal and accounted for Michigan&#39;s touchdowns, as Michigan was able to get a blocker on the Indiana linebackers and send Smith stomping through fishing villages across the Indiana back seven. The first was Michigan running inside zone at an Indiana formation that spread itself wide to deal with the extra gaps a tight bunch of receivers provided; this was the payoff for Michigan eating a TFL on a crack sweep Indiana blew up:</p>
<p align="left"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/225mQtP0Xvw" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p align="left">On the replay you can see an Indiana linebacker step to the sweep and get a second level block for his troubles; Bredeson clobbers an OL, and Darboh&#39;s crack block absolutely hammers the Indiana safety Smith posterized on third and short.</p>
<p align="left">The second must have been a bust by Indiana&mdash;possibly more than one. M runs power, one LB buries himself on the backside of the play, and the Indiana line does not execute the slant that usually indicates. Smith doesn&#39;t get touched until that same safety comes up to get run through:</p>
<p align="left"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OO3OvrJz6EY" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p align="left">The midseason bench Smith chatter was always silly&mdash;the man did not control the blocking he got&mdash;and he&#39;ll be a critical piece against OSU.</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Wide receivers optional. Wide receiver blocking important</strong>. You&#39;ll note that on all three of the big runs embedded above, Michigan gets a critical block from a wide receiver. Chesson locks up a corner on the scramble; Darboh hammers Indiana Victim Safety on the first TD, and Crawford harasses the same guy into a missed tackle on the second.</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Tyrone Wheatley&#39;s best day</strong>. John Duerr picked up on a lot of bodies moving backwards when Wheatley impacted them:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ty Wheatley Jr&#39;s best block, as far as I can remember. <a href="https://t.co/NwRHtHJ7hI">pic.twitter.com/NwRHtHJ7hI</a></p>
<p> &mdash; Due (@JDue51) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDue51/status/800177039550640128">November 20, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p align="left">PFF agreed, with Wheatley finishing second to Smith <a href="https://www.profootballfocus.com/college-football-michigan-indiana-grades-wolverines-defense-shines-in-win-over-indiana/">in their offensive grades</a>, and from my preliminary look at the game it&#39;s likely he finishes with some nice UFR positives as well. As reminder, the DL Wheatley moved are grading out decently at PFF; this isn&#39;t Wheatley plowing over Hawaii. It looks like some real progress.</p>
<h3>
<strong>DEFENSE</strong></h3>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30978030532_e62dbcef3f_z.jpg"><img alt="30978030532_e62dbcef3f_z" border="0" height="378" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30978030532_e62dbcef3f_z_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="30978030532_e62dbcef3f_z" width="564" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Fuller]</em></p>
<p><strong>More of the same.</strong> Indiana had exactly two drives on which they did anything more than pick up a first down or two and wander off the field. The first, their touchdown drive, was a real drive with various successful plays, including a second-and-fourteen conversion against a five-man box on which Channing Stribling didn&#39;t set the edge and a third-and-seven slant on Peppers. They were aided by Delano Hill falling down to give up a chunk.</p>
<p>The second was a series of absurd catches: Stribling raked out the 37-yard bomb and knew he it, but the replay booth refused to overturn it; Mitchell Paige tightroped the sideline; a poorly thrown wheel route managed to go <em>under</em> Dymonte Thomas and still get caught&mdash;a Leidner special. Those things can all be filed under &quot;if the offense executes perfectly they win&quot; or just crap luck. This was Indiana&#39;s longest gain of the night:</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/31088590896_429eb92a63_z.jpg"><img alt="31088590896_429eb92a63_z" border="0" height="378" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/31088590896_429eb92a63_z_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="31088590896_429eb92a63_z" width="564" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Fuller]</em></p>
<p>It happens.</p>
<p>There is a theoretical minimum yardage that any vaguely competent (ie, Not Rutgers) offense is going to get just by executing, and Indiana didn&#39;t exceed that by much. Every drive other than the two scores ended in a punt or the end of the game; the longest of those gained 31 yards.</p>
<p>This does mean a little something since this was the best passing offense, per fancystats, that Michigan&#39;s faced this year. The only Indiana drive seriously impacted by the weather was the final one.</p>
<p><strong>Run game dominance</strong>. Michigan gave up a couple of chunk plays on the edge and otherwise dominated. This <a href="https://www.profootballfocus.com/college-football-michigan-indiana-grades-wolverines-defense-shines-in-win-over-indiana/">is quite a stat from PFF</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>RB Devine Redding worked for every bit of his 50 yards rushing on Saturday. He forced three missed tackles and earned 47 of those yards after contact.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Redding&#39;s line got him a total of three yards on the day. Indiana was S&amp;P+&#39;s #100 rushing offense before the game but even so that&#39;s impressive.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/31006983931_dddcd584df_z.jpg"><img alt="31006983931_dddcd584df_z" border="0" height="377" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/31006983931_dddcd584df_z_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="31006983931_dddcd584df_z" width="564" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Upchurch]</em></p>
<p><strong>Taco taco man</strong>. As mentioned in the Awards section, Taco Charlton drove a lot of that, especially after he got a dubious personal foul penalty. Angry Taco is a good Taco. When he wasn&#39;t tackling for loss himself he was tossing his blocker into the running back and allowing the rest of the defense to swarm; Ryan Glasgow had a couple of shoestring TFLs that demonstrated his terrific range (and barely missed a couple more). Both inside linebackers also had good days, with little to no edge stuff that was on them. Gedeon even covered a wheel route well.</p>
<p><strong>Sneaky good</strong>. Dymonte Thomas had an excellent day, with a PBU and another third-and-short stop in addition to his post-UCF avoidance of major mistakes. Michigan&#39;s defense has surged to fourth in the S&amp;P+ metric designed to measure explosiveness*. That&#39;s a major credit to both safeties, who have rebounded from an understandably bust-laden early season to virtually shut down long opponent plays.</p>
<p>Thomas in particular has 7 PBUs and is a major reason why Michigan&#39;s been able to cope with the absence of Jeremy Clark. With Jourdan Lewis on the outside and no third corner Michigan&#39;s totally comfortable playing, it&#39;s fallen to Thomas and Hill to check slots, and they&#39;ve done so.</p>
<p>Their ability in this department has allowed Peppers to blitz and spy almost constantly&mdash;the slant Indiana got on him during their TD drive was the first time he&#39;d been targeted in coverage since... UCF? I think it was literally UCF. Most of that is Peppers simply not being in coverage downfield (other than the odd deep half of third) and opponents refusing to test him in the flat for obvious reasons.</p>
<p>*[That metric measures only &quot;successful&quot; plays, so Michigan&#39;s general defensive dominance doesn&#39;t play a role. Michigan is 4th in the country at preventing successful plays from turning into long, long gains.]</p>
<p><strong>A bizarre leap</strong>. Indiana tried a fly route down the sideline that Stribling was in terrific position on. The WR leapt; Stribling leapt; an interception beckoned... and the ball fell harmlessly to the turf in front of both players. This was into the erratic wind and must have been knocked down by the same. It was bizarre to watch.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30300194974_67d6af0680_z.jpg"><img alt="30300194974_67d6af0680_z" border="0" height="378" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30300194974_67d6af0680_z_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="30300194974_67d6af0680_z" width="564" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Upchurch]</em></p>
<p><strong>Serious production</strong>. Chase Winovich has five sacks on the season, one behind Charlton for the team lead*. Since he goes games where he gets 9 or 3 or 6 snaps and still turns in a sack he&#39;s got to be Michigan&#39;s most productive pass rusher on a per-snap basis. He&#39;s not going to be in Charlton&#39;s class as a run defender if only because of his size, but Michigan shouldn&#39;t see much dropoff on passing downs next year. He&#39;ll be everybody&#39;s pick for breakout player.</p>
<p>*[Here&#39;s a Don Brown stat for you: eight(!) different players have at least three sacks this year.]</p>
<h3>
<strong>SPECIAL TEAMS</strong></h3>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30753603500_cf96321f37_z.jpg"><img alt="30753603500_cf96321f37_z" border="0" height="378" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30753603500_cf96321f37_z_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="30753603500_cf96321f37_z" width="564" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Upchurch]</em></p>
<p><strong>Back with a vengeance</strong>. When not cowering in fear from golden god Ron Coluzzi, this section has been pretty thin on takes for much of the season because Michigan wasn&#39;t doing anything except scoring touchdowns in games way out of hand. With the onset of Midwestern Football Weather in earnest this Saturday, special teams took on an outsized importance.</p>
<p>To assert Michigan won this matchup decisively is to sell it short. Michigan hit two chip shot field goals, blocked two punts, saved big chunks of yardage on the line-drive ducks Indiana&#39;s punter was spraying anywhere and everywhere, and twice pinned Indiana deep in their own territory. The end result was something close to the MSU game last year where the total yardage on the scoreboard didn&#39;t reflect the way the game actually went because the special teams blowout was of such a huge magnitude.</p>
<p><strong>Kenny Allen seems fine now</strong>. He&#39;s hit his last ten field goals. Only two of them were of any distance, but #collegekickers, man. I&#39;ll take a guy who&#39;s consistent inside 40 and run.</p>
<p><strong>Big game for hidden Peppers yardage</strong>. With Indiana&#39;s punter spraying line drives everywhere Peppers&#39;s ability to catch balls was a big deal. He caught one punt on the dead run; that was 50/50 to be a TD and even though he got hacked down after ten or so yards that was a 20-30 yard swing in field position. He managed to grab another couple punts that otherwise would have kept rolling.</p>
<p>He also had the second muff of his career, but like the first one against BYU last year, it came on a ball he ranged all the way to the sideline to get; once it hit the turf he just whacked it out of bounds. I&#39;m fine with him taking risks so close to the sideline, because if he does mess up nothing happens.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30978056752_ab435cf34c_k.jpg"><img alt="30978056752_ab435cf34c_k" border="0" height="370" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/30978056752_ab435cf34c_k_thumb.jpg" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="30978056752_ab435cf34c_k" width="564" /></a></p>
<p align="center">[Upchurch]</p>
<p><strong>Spread punt: downloaded</strong>. Michigan picked up its sixth and seventh punt blocks of the year. Also they should get credit for an eighth huge swing in field position: the Coluzzi scramble/flip against Iowa was induced by a slightly high snap and the punt rush spooking Iowa&#39;s golden god. That&#39;s some vintage Beamerball stuff.</p>
<p>It is increasingly difficult to argue with the idea that Michigan went away from the spread punt because they discovered they could block the hell out of it by overloading the protectors. The Hudson block was again Michigan sending four and getting Hudson a free run at the punter:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="pt">G.O.A.T<a href="https://twitter.com/KhalekeHudson">@KhalekeHudson</a> <a href="https://t.co/a0ehDzw1ZB">pic.twitter.com/a0ehDzw1ZB</a></p>
<p> &mdash; Zach (@ZSchultzz) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZSchultzz/status/800115442044039169">November 19, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p>Michigan has never had a punt-block season like this since I&#39;ve been paying attention. That one year Marquise Walker got four or five was the only thing even close. And I don&#39;t know what the opposition can do to combat Michigan&#39;s approach other than abandon spread punting.</p>
<p>FWIW, Michigan <a href="http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/790">leads the country in blocked punts</a> per the official NCAA stats, but since they&#39;ve only got M down for 4 that number has to be off somehow. I assume they aren&#39;t counting deflected punts that cross the line of scrimmage, which is dumb. I&#39;d guess Michigan is still ahead in the actual numbers.</p>
<p><strong>McDoooooom</strong>. It was McDoom who pawed the ball back from the cusp of the endzone on one of the punts Michigan downed inside the five. Credit to the Michigan staff for teaching the college rule where the only thing that matters is where the ball is; so many times you see players trying to down punts screw up because they think NFL rules apply.</p>
<h3>
<strong>MISCELLANEOUS</strong></h3>
<p><strong>TIMEOUTS</strong>. Multiple times in the first half the action went like this: timeout, two plays, timeout. Absolutely ridiculous. I have no hope this will ever get better because there&#39;s no mechanism for it.</p>
<p><strong>Aftermath</strong>.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I was in my element <a href="https://t.co/vK3CAvKJ4U">pic.twitter.com/vK3CAvKJ4U</a></p>
<p> &mdash; Khalid Hill (@Thatboylid80) <a href="https://twitter.com/Thatboylid80/status/800223082988191744">November 20, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://twitter.com/Thatboylid80">@Thatboylid80</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/mgoblog">@mgoblog</a> <a href="https://t.co/MRohm5Bqx4">pic.twitter.com/MRohm5Bqx4</a></p>
<p> &mdash; Eric Lloyd (@EricLloyd) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLloyd/status/800224601288609792">November 20, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p><strong>All the feels</strong>. Senior day can hit you right there.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Michigan Senior TE <a href="https://twitter.com/JBooty_88">@JBooty_88</a> soaking in his last few moments on the Big House turf in a Wolverine uniform. Thanks for the memories Jake! <a href="https://t.co/7UIXVyyH9m">pic.twitter.com/7UIXVyyH9m</a></p>
<p> &mdash; Eric Upchurch (@EUpchurchPhoto) <a href="https://twitter.com/EUpchurchPhoto/status/800165724991918080">November 20, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><h3>
<strong>HERE</strong></h3>
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/diaries/best-and-worst-indiana-2">Best and Worst</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Best:&nbsp; Senior Smash</strong></p>
<p><img height="213" src="http://provengamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/super-smash-bros-pokemon.jpg" width="400" /></p>
<p>In their last home games, it was the seniors that pulled this game out.&nbsp; Wormley, Glasgow, Charlton, and the rest of the front 7 just chewed up Indiana for most of the game.&nbsp; Indiana could barely get a pass off, and when they did Lewis and Stribling were there to knock the ball down or jar it loose.&nbsp; On offense, Smith had a career-high in yards and had two fantastic TD runs that were vintage De&rsquo;Veon: he&rsquo;d snake through the line, take some contact, bounce off, and surge toward the endzone.&nbsp; On a day when the passing game wasn&rsquo;t taken out of the barn too much and was sputtering when it did get a shot (7/16 for 59 yards, 2 sacks, overthrows or drops by Chesson, Darboh and Butt), Smith carried the offense to a win.&nbsp; And while the offensive line wasn&rsquo;t great (I saw Bredeson consistently getting pushed back/run around by IU&rsquo;s aggressive front 7), Michigan still had 12 of their 15 first downs result from the run, and for the game UM was able to hold onto the ball almost 10 minutes longer than Indiana.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/diaries/state-our-open-threads-after-indiana">The State of our Open Threads</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>The advanced metrics tell the story too:</p>
<p>FART Rate - 1.315, which is the fourth highest rate on the season</p>
<p>SHART Rate - 0.500, which is the fourth highest rate on the season</p>
<p>SQUIRT Number - 2.630, which is actually the sixth highest on the season</p>
<p>FAP Rate - 1.992, which was the sixth highest on the season</p>
<p>So, overall reaction to this game is - in season terms - kind of mild. It definitely was not the visceral reaction to the frustration of the Iowa game, but certainly not the comfortable reaction to Rutgers. This game sat sort of in that middle tier of games which can be best described as, &quot;I think we&#39;re just happy that we won&quot;.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3>
<strong>ELSEWHERE</strong></h3>
<p>Andrew Kahn has <a href="http://mvictors.com/unbeaten-at-the-big-house/">the definitive look at how quickly the blizzard escalated</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>Here&rsquo;s the field at 6:33 p.m.:</p>
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/Snow-on-Field-1-768x4321.png"><img alt="Snow-on-Field-1-768x432[1]" border="0" height="285" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/Snow-on-Field-1-768x4321_thumb.png" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="Snow-on-Field-1-768x432[1]" width="504" /></a></p>
<p>And again at 6:39 (notice the cheerleaders&rsquo; snow angels in the bottom right corner):</p>
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/Snow-on-Field-2-768x4321.png"><img alt="Snow-on-Field-2-768x432[1]" border="0" height="285" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/Snow-on-Field-2-768x4321_thumb.png" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="Snow-on-Field-2-768x432[1]" width="504" /></a></p>
<p>Just three minutes after that, at 6:42:</p>
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/Snow-on-Field-4-768x432.png"><img alt="Snow-on-Field-4-768x432" border="0" height="285" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/Snow-on-Field-4-768x432_thumb.png" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="Snow-on-Field-4-768x432" width="504" /></a></p>
<p>At 6:45, with cheerleaders sliding in the north end zone and making snow angels (again) in the south end zone:</p>
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/Snow-on-Field-5-768x432.png"><img alt="Snow-on-Field-5-768x432" border="0" height="285" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/Snow-on-Field-5-768x432_thumb.png" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="Snow-on-Field-5-768x432" width="504" /></a></p>
<p>And finally, at 6:49, with the players belly-flopping in celebration of a big win:</p>
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/Snow-on-Field-6-768x432.png"><img alt="Snow-on-Field-6-768x432" border="0" height="285" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/GAME-COLUMNS_C3F9/Snow-on-Field-6-768x432_thumb.png" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" title="Snow-on-Field-6-768x432" width="504" /></a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>He also has much more in <a href="http://mvictors.com/unbeaten-at-the-big-house/">a post I urge you to read</a> because I just C&amp;Ped this and feel somewhat guilty about it.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/11/20/13687796/college-football-rankings-alabama-michigan-snow-virtue-big-ten-academics-scholars-hoodies">Spencer</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>The chosen Chaos Team of the Big Ten tore up Michigan for a while, but Michigan&rsquo;s defense and run game broke the Hoosiers. This is all fine in a game when the Wolverines were missing their starting QB, Wilton Speight, and playing an Indiana team with a pesky defense and a propensity for keeping games close. (Winning them, no; keeping them close, yes.)</p>
<p>However, this takes us all back to square one with what this Wolverines team is: one-dimensional offensively, fearsome defensively, and sometimes able to do Jabrill Peppers things. They might not have Speight against Ohio State and might have to start John O&rsquo;Korn again. O&rsquo;Korn passed for 59 yards against Indiana and looked very much like someone making his first start of the season.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>O&#39;Korn knew early <a href="http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2016/11/jim_harbaugh_says_wilton_speig_1.html">that he would start</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>O&#39;Korn said he was told on Sunday afternoon -- the day after the Iowa loss -- that he would be starting this week against Indiana.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://mvictors.com/proper-helmet-sticker-management-dr-saps-decals/">Sap&#39;s Decals</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>OFFENSIVE CHAMPIONS &ndash; As a senior, you always want to go out with a bang and leave it all on the field. <strong>De&rsquo;Veon Smith</strong> once again gave his all, left no doubt and left nothing on the field Saturday. A career best 158 yards and two TD&rsquo;s was the perfect ending for Michigan&rsquo;s battering-ram of a runner. Never one to take the easy route or run out of bounds, Smith once again showed that he has a nose for the endzone. His two scores were classic Smith runs and a great way to punctuate your last game at The Big House.</p>
<p>I also wanted to call out <strong>Ben Bredeson</strong> for his play Saturday. He seemed to always be getting to the second level on his blocks and paving the way for Smith and his scores in the second half. I thought #74 was the best O-lineman out there and reminded me of another #74 &ndash; Mike Husar. He was another stalwart from 30 years ago who was a critical cog in those great O-lines that blocked for coach Harbaugh when he was a QB at Michigan.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://hooverstreetrag.blogspot.com/2016/11/cold-front.html">Hoover Street Rag</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>For all of our calling Indiana #CHAOSTEAM, we tended to presume that Michigan would bounce back from the disappointment of that night at Kinnick, and rally behind John O&#39;Korn and figure out how to get by Indiana, a team Michigan has not lost to since 1987, and has not lost in Ann Arbor to since 1967.&nbsp; But the same problems from last week, from the last month, really, were cropping up.&nbsp; Slightly off target passes, bad luck on spots, every toss-up ball to an Indiana receiver managing to be good for a solid gain.&nbsp; By the end of a cold and blustery first half at Michigan Stadium, only Kenny Allen&#39;s punting seemed to be going right and Michigan and its fans felt fortunate that if this was the first time all season that they were going into the locker room at halftime down, it was only a 7-3 margin.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://holdintherope.blogspot.com/2016/11/michigan-wolverines-indiana-hoosiers-ohio-state-buckeyes-big-ten-college-football.html">Holdin&#39; The Rope</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>The question is: can Michigan get by with a similar performance in Columbus this Saturday? Instinct responds with a resounding &quot;no,&quot; although it&#39;s not as if Ohio State isn&#39;t without offensive issues of its own.</p>
<p>Both the Buckeyes and Wolverines have spent their seasons subconsciously fighting proxy wars against common opponents. The numbers are all there, ripe for dissection and analysis.</p>
<p>But for all of the advanced stats that have flowered into being in recent years, the biggest storylines are reductive. Michigan has beaten Ohio State three times this century (2000, 2003, 2011). For someone like me, who grew up in the &#39;90s when the situation was different but I wasn&#39;t quite old enough to appreciate it, I haven&#39;t known much else. Even in 2011, Michigan barely eked by a bad, Luke Fickell-coached Buckeyes squad.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Les Miles was <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2016/11/19/les-miles-back-um-has-no-idea-future/94127154/">back in the house</a>. <a href="http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2016/11/michigan_postgame_10.html">Random numbers</a> and whatnot. <a href="http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18090247/michigan-wolverines-ohio-state-buckeyes-set-epic-showdown">Game hype</a> starts in earnest.</p>
<p><a href="http://touch-the-banner.com/michigan-20-indiana-10/">Touch The Banner</a>. <a href="http://www.maizenbluenation.com/2016/11/michigan-20-indiana-10.html">Maize and Blue Nation</a>. <a href="http://maizeandgoblue.com/2016/11/19/3-michigan-20-indiana-10-smiths-career-day-leads-wolverines-to-10th-win/">Maize and Go Blue</a>.</p>
http://mgoblog.com/content/everywhere-and-nowhere-all#comments2016 indianaamara darbohchanning striblingchase winovichdelano hilldeveon smithdeveon smith human woodchipperdymonte thomasgame columnsjabrill peppersjohn o'kornjourdan lewiskekoa crawfordkenny allenryan glasgowtaco charltontyrone wheatley jrwilton speightMon, 21 Nov 2016 18:05:07 +0000Brian112124 at http://mgoblog.comIndiana Postgame Presser: Jim Harbaughhttp://mgoblog.com/content/indiana-postgame-presser-jim-harbaugh
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30312448093_1583255ec6_z.jpg"><img title="30312448093_1583255ec6_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="30312448093_1583255ec6_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30312448093_1583255ec6_z_thumb.jpg" width="554" height="371" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Eric Upchurch]</em></p>
<p align="left"><strong>News bullets and other items:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>
<div align="left">Wilton Speight is “day-to-day”</div>
</li>
<li>
<div align="left">Asked whether he will practice next week, Harbaugh said, “We’ll see.”</div>
</li>
</ul>
<p align="left"><strong>Can you talk about what De’Veon Smith and your offensive line gave you when you really needed it there in the third quarter?</strong></p>
<p align="left">“Yeah, I mean, grinding out first downs, grinding meat. De’Veon, he played with great motivation. And some great play from the offensive line. It felt like old fashioned, slobber-knocker football. </p>
<p align="left">“Tim Drevno made some great calls. The touchdown, the long touchdown by De’Veon was a heck of a call. We’d been running to the strongside. Come back, pull, have the pullers to the weakside, it was just enough. Just enough space, and De’Veon, breaking tackles. The yard runs, the yards after contact, pushing for the first down was critical. I think it’s the most yards of his career. Heck of an effort by De’Veon.”</p>
<p align="left"><strong>No disrespect to Indiana, but is it possible your guys were thinking ahead a little to next week. How was the focus, do you think?</strong></p>
<p align="left">[laughs] “I’ll tell you what, to win this game, it feels like one of the best wins I’ve ever been involved with because it <em>was</em> a playoff game, and it was beating a tough Indiana team. We have a lot of respect for them. They’re a heck of a football team. And the elements, too. That was…you know, feel good about our football team.”</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Can you reflect on the run that O’Korn h.ad to set up De’Veon’s first touchdown, and how would you assess his play overall?</strong></p>
<p align="left">“Yeah, that was huge. We were struggling making third-down conversions and there was not just one but two defenders pressuring John, and [he] stepped out of it with good ball security. Got the first down and was being threatened there at the sticks and didn’t dive, didn’t slide. Kick through, kicked through an arm tackle and kept right on running, so that was a big play. That was a signature play for a quarterback in a big game, so I feel really good. Amara [Darboh] was also outstanding to extend our last drive. He did a lot of good things.”</p>
<p align="left"><strong>[After THE JUMP: special teams, smashing the narrative, and waxing philosophical about Michigan Stadium]</strong></p>
<a name="more"></a><!--break--><!--break--><p align="left"><strong>How big was the play of your special teams today as whole?</strong></p>
<p align="left">“Huge. The field position battle, the net yards that come from punting and being able to back a team up, Kenny did a great job. I think four of the six punts that he punted down there, one at the five, the seven, that was huge. </p>
<p align="left">“We got punted down there inside of our ten-yard line there on the last drive, and that’s when our guys mounted that time-consuming drive there at the end of the game.</p>
<p align="left">“Coverage units were fantastic. Blocked punt. Kenny made both of the field goals. Thought we won very well, decisively, in the kicking game today. That was huge.”</p>
<p align="left"><strong>You say every game’s a championship game for you guys and now after this one we’re nearing the final stretch of championship games. Do you like where you’re at right now going into the final stretch?</strong></p>
<p align="left">“Yes. We’ll be playing for the championship next week. As I said, this was a championship game because it keeps our team in it. Feels like a playoff game. Felt like it and still does feel like it. Felt like a playoff win. It’s great.”</p>
<p align="left"><strong>This is the 30th anniversary of your guarantee against Ohio State. Now as the head coach, how would you react if one of your players made a guarantee today?</strong></p>
<p align="left">“I think I’ve been asked that before, and I don’t know. Our guys can speak their mind. So…probably similar to the way my coach reacted.</p>
<p align="left">“But, you know, typical hypotheticals. I’ll just say I’m not into hypotheticals, so…thanks for asking the hypothetical question, though.”</p>
<p><strong>Wilton [Speight] was out there throwing a little bit. Is he still day-to-day? What’s his status right now?</strong></p>
<p>“Yeah. Yes.”</p>
<p><strong>So there’s the potential that he might play next week?</strong></p>
<p>“Yeah. Day-to-day.”</p>
<p><strong>Do you expect Wilton to practice this week early?</strong></p>
<p>“We’ll see. It’s day-to-day.”</p>
<p><strong>John’s entire game: how do you think he handled himself overall?</strong></p>
<p>“Very well. Winning in a tough, tough environment. Indiana’s got a heck of an offense, too; they put up a lot of points. Give credit to both defenses, but also it was tough conditions to operate, especially in the passing game.</p>
<p>“I thought he did extremely well. Ball security was good all day. Operated, managed the team and did what he needed to do, so feel like he did well.”</p>
<p><strong>That was sort of my question, but just a follow-up to it: when you factor in the weather and the wind, does that factor into how well you think O’Korn did or didn’t do? Is that a major factor in judging him?</strong></p>
<p>“Yeah.” [laughs] “Yes. As I said, you’ve got understand, it’s a great feeling when you win a football game. Two opposing wills against each other, and you have to beat that other team and also the elements and our team did both of those things today.”</p>
<p><strong>It’s always a big game, Michigan and Ohio State, but for the Big Ten to have this game with both teams in the playoff race, what do you think that means for the league and where it sits nationally?</strong></p>
<p>“Uh…probably good.”</p>
<p>[long silence]</p>
<p>“Is that the obvious question? Was I missing something there?”</p>
<p><strong>I think you were supposed to say it’s great for the league or something like that.</strong></p>
<p>[chuckles] “You guys write! You got pens!”</p>
<p><strong>When you said you feel good about where your team is now, is it because this was really November Big Ten-kind of football and you got through, persevered through running the ball? Is that what makes you feel good heading forward?</strong></p>
<p>“Winning a football game is a great feeling. When you’re a team and you come together and you go out and win a football game, that’s good feeling enough.</p>
<p>“And everything’s a test. Every week is a test. Every game that you line up is a test. There’s a lot of tests in life. Comes in many forms and fashions. Our team was playing a really good Indiana football team. That was a huge test for us today. Coming off a loss, that was a huge test for us. Playing in big, playoff-type games and responding, coming together as a team, gives us a great feeling. Feel good about it.”</p>
<p><strong>You talked on Monday about how much the seniors have meant. For them to play their last game here today, knowing all they’ve been through and watching them finish this one off in the last few minutes, did you feel especially good for them knowing how it could have ended their careers here?</strong></p>
<p>“Yeah, especially. I know how that feels to play at Michigan and not win your last game at home, and it’s not a good feeling at all. Glad our guys played eight home games and won ‘em all. </p>
<p>“The constant being a Michigan football player through the ages is that you play in the Michigan Stadium, you play in that venue, that Big House. Always has been that way, is, and always will be. That’s the one constant. All the time, the facilities, the changes in society and everything else, you play in that stadium. To have that feeling of winning your last game and have it be a big game, it’s a great feeling. Feel especially good for them, yes.”</p>
<p><strong>How would you assess your chances for next week?</strong></p>
<p>“Gonna enjoy this one and then get right onto preparation for Ohio State.</p>
http://mgoblog.com/content/indiana-postgame-presser-jim-harbaugh#comments2016 indiana2016 ohio stateamara darbohdeveon smithdeveon smith human woodchipperjohn o'kornkenny allenMichigan Stadiumpress conference transcriptssenior dayactual reportingSun, 20 Nov 2016 17:00:00 +0000Adam Schnepp112082 at http://mgoblog.comWednesday Presser 11-9-16: Jay Harbaughhttp://mgoblog.com/content/wednesday-presser-11-9-16-jay-harbaugh
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/29972170841_7c4eb308ee_z.jpg"><img alt="29972170841_7c4eb308ee_z" border="0" height="371" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/29972170841_7c4eb308ee_z_thumb.jpg" title="29972170841_7c4eb308ee_z" width="554" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Fuller/MGoBlog]</em></p>
<p align="left"><b>Talk about where your group is right now and how pleased you are with their progress.</b></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Really pleased with where we&rsquo;re at. Simple thing that we talk about as a group is just getting better every week, and I think the last three or four weeks we&rsquo;ve been better and looking to continue that moving forward.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>What does it mean to have somebody at the top of the all-time tight ends list in terms of receptions. I know Jake was excited about it.</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Yeah, really excited. The whole group was really thrilled for him, which says a lot about who he is as a teammate in the room and just in general on the team. Guys being happy for his success says a lot about who he is. And understanding the work he puts in, how he approaches every day. It&rsquo;s not really surprising. It&rsquo;s just what you expect of a guy who puts that much into it.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Jabrill got so many opportunities on punt return early in the year and seemed like there was one or two every game he was a step away from breaking. Is there something in the last couple weeks that&rsquo;s different in the way they&rsquo;ve been blocking you guys or adjusted to something?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Uh, well, shoot, I think against Maryland they only punted a couple of times, which is unusual for a game like that. Then both times there was excellent hang time on the ball and great location on the punt, so credit to them. That&rsquo;s how it goes sometimes. There&rsquo;s things you can do to neutralize a great returner. It&rsquo;s really all in the punter&rsquo;s hands. And then not having as many opportunities is the other part of it. I think those things kind of go in cycles and hopefully we&rsquo;ll see a few more opportunities down the stretch.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Jim talked a lot about Kekoa&rsquo;s blocking, then he did, too, last night. How much do you work with the wide receivers on blocking? Is that you or is that Jedd?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;None for me. I can&rsquo;t take any credit for those guys. Jedd and Drew [Terrell] and Ryan Nehlen and the other guys, they do a nice job working with them. Really seen a lot of progress from those guys.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>[After THE JUMP: Kenny Allen&rsquo;s kicker swagger, running the program like an NFL team, and differences in utilizing tall vs. short TEs] </strong></p>
<a name="more"></a><!--break--><!--break--><p align="left"><strong>How much does it help your offense to have those guys on the outside in addition to, obviously, your tight ends?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;It&rsquo;s huge. You talk about receivers getting really involved effectively in the run game, you&rsquo;re turning five- and seven-yard runs into twelve and fifteen or longer yard runs. It can really make the difference. It really starts with their mentality of assuming their block is gonna be the one that breaks a big run, so it&rsquo;s kind of been a point of pride in that room just hearing them talk about it. It&rsquo;s cool to see it really show up.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Kekoa talked about how much you work on it. Do you think, from your experience, that you work on that kind of thing more than other schools or other teams?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;In terms of receiver blocking?&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Yeah.</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know. I know they work on it a lot and it&rsquo;s definitely a point of pride, like I said, but in terms of a comparison I&rsquo;m not sure.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Do you feel like Kenny&rsquo;s [Allen] got his swagger back and his confidence if he ever lost it?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure Kenny and the word &lsquo;swagger&rsquo; have ever been used together.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Kicker swagger.</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Yeah, exactly. No, he&rsquo;s kicking the ball well and certainly has confidence. I&rsquo;m not sure if his confidence ever really wavered or if our confidence in him wavered much, but he&rsquo;s certainly back to his old ways.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>In practice, did you continue to see him grow and become more consistent?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Yeah. He&rsquo;s been practicing really well, and he really has been all throughout. It&rsquo;s just one of those things where you can go through a little bit of a lull and you see that in the NFL this year, teams dealing with guys who are good kickers who practice well and typically play well going through a phase where they miss a few. Not that Kenny would want any excuses made for him, but it does happen. He&rsquo;s not back to what we&rsquo;re used to. It&rsquo;s great. He&rsquo;s a huge weapon for us.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>What adjustments did he make technically to get himself back on track?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Nothing too drastic. Just trying to be more consistent is the main thing. Really nothing drastic. People can do a lot to overexplain a bad game or two games with that position. I think there&rsquo;s not as much to it as people think.&rdquo;<br />
<strong>Jim said the other day that he was speeding things up. Is that something he discovered on his own or you guys worked it out together?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;In terms of Kenny&rsquo;s operation.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Yeah.</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Yeah, he has a tendency to do that. He&rsquo;s always had that, and it&rsquo;s a matter of keeping it rom rearing its head because he does have a tendency to do that. It seems to be pretty much out of the picture now.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>He was talking the other night about Devin [Asiasi] and the fact that he can move around and you can shift him and put him in the backfield. Has that always been natural to him because of his body type or is there some skill set he has that&rsquo;s unique?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Typically guys that aren&rsquo;t quite as tall have a little bit more versatility because it&rsquo;s tough for tall guys to operate in the backfield and block people in space because they have to get their pad level down to a linebacker and typically those guys are 6&rsquo;, 6&rsquo;1&rdquo;, 6&rsquo;2&rdquo;, and if you&rsquo;re 6&rsquo;6&rdquo; that can make it difficult to operate in tight quarters. So, he has a little bit of an advantage there not being quite as tall as the other guys.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Does that make it harder for Zach [Gentry] and Ian [Bunting] to get on the field more often because they are 6&rsquo;6&rdquo;, 6&rsquo;7&rdquo;?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Uh&hellip;I wouldn&rsquo;t say it&rsquo;s harder for them because those guys have an advantage at the point of attack if they&rsquo;re lined up in-line blocking a defensive end. Iowa&rsquo;s guys are 6&rsquo;5&rdquo;, 6&rsquo;8&rdquo;, lot of length on the edge, so guys that are tall like Ian have an edge in that regard whereas Devin is a little more natural leading up on somebody coming out of the backfield. I mean, that&rsquo;s the beauty of the position and our group of guys is that there&rsquo;s kind of a good guy for each job.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Given where you are in year two with the numbers you guys are putting up on both sides of the ball, would you say you&rsquo;re ahead of schedule for what you were planning on doing when you got here?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Uh&hellip;shoot, I have no idea in terms of specifically how well we thought we&rsquo;d be playing. I wish we would have played this well last year, so it&rsquo;s tough to say.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>How much of an NFL mentality exists in this program in terms of Jim was talking the other day about celebrations [after wins] and keeping those shorter and the work aspect of it. It&rsquo;s different than other college teams, it seems like, to a certain extent.</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;It&rsquo;s tough to really compare it to other teams because I haven&rsquo;t been around too many.&rdquo;</p>
<p align="left"><strong>Is it run similar to an NFL team, would you say?</strong></p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;Yeah, I would say so. I would say so. The majority of our staff came from the NFL or spent a lot of time in the NFL, so I think it&rsquo;s kind of naturally going to happen but it&rsquo;s not the kind of thing you think about or plan. We&rsquo;re just doing things the way that we know how to and if it ends up being that way then it&rsquo;s a good thing.</p>
<p align="left">&ldquo;We demand a lot of the players and they rise to the occasion and we&rsquo;re always focused on getting better, so if that&rsquo;s&mdash;I mean, a lot of great college teams are like that, too, so I think that&rsquo;s just kind of a growth growth mindset and pro mentality, not that that&rsquo;s exclusive to any level. There&rsquo;s probably high school teams like that and Pop Warner.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Does that become a factor at all in recruiting when you&rsquo;ve got guys that you know eventually want to go to the NFL, to talk about the kind of staff that you have?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Yeah, I would imagine so. I think high schoolers seeing a staff that&rsquo;s spent a lot of time in the NFL is probably alluring just to understand that guys that have been in the NFL have a better sense of how to prepare you for it. Each guy&rsquo;s different. To some guys that&rsquo;s everything. Other recruits couldn&rsquo;t care less about it.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Not to nitpick but you guys had a couple kicks that leaked out a little bit on you on Saturday. Is that just a technique thing, a fit thing?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;On kickoff coverage?&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Yeah.</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Yeah. It&rsquo;s technique and effort and just being disciplined in our assignments and then having the right personnel in the game. A couple of those kicks were late in the game and it&rsquo;s not necessarily the same people you&rsquo;d have in the beginning of the game covering, so getting the personnel right and the intensity and discipline of the coverage and properly fitting it up is something that&rsquo;s important to us and we&rsquo;re going to get right and improve.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Overall, you&rsquo;ve got to be pretty pleased with the way these guys have covered both punts and kicks this year, right?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Yeah, pretty pleased. It could be better. I think earlier in the year there was a handful of medium to big plays opponents had on us that kind of left a bad taste in our mouth. Demond King&rsquo;s an excellent returner, so we definitely have our work cut out for us there. We&rsquo;ve got to be really, really sharp [and] better than we have been because we haven&rsquo;t really been tested that much lately. We&rsquo;ve got to really bring it on Saturday.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Going back to the end of last year and your comment on expectations, when you saw what you were able to accomplish in the Florida game and in the spring, did you kind of see this type of performance coming this year, being 9-0 and being as good as you are? Did you see the potential for that?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Yeah. I mean, you could see the potential even when we first got here. We knew there was a lot of capable players and guys who were hungry to win. They were hungry to work hard and be good. I think you could see the potential early, but you understand that it doesn&rsquo;t mean anything until you go through spring and all 15 practices and then have a great offseason and fall camp, so you could see it but at the same time you know nothing&rsquo;s promised to you. Just like when the preseason rankings came out this year, you knew it didn&rsquo;t really mean anything but you knew we had that capability.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>When you play as many young guys&mdash;freshmen, redshirt freshmen, sophomores&mdash;as you do, you don&rsquo;t do it necessarily to catch recruits&rsquo; attention, but is that a side benefit that they see that if you come here and perform at a certain level you&rsquo;ll be there, you&rsquo;re out on the field?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;I think most recruits look at that&mdash;the good ones, the really competitive ones, look at it and see that it&rsquo;s a meritocracy and guys who put in the work and show that they can help us win will be on the field, so I think the guys that are really wired up right see that and like it as opposed to maybe situations at certain schools where people say, yeah, you&rsquo;ll be the starter or you&rsquo;ll be number two. That&rsquo;s not how it works here, but the guys who are really competitive-natured guys want to come in and compete and work for everything that they get, so it&rsquo;s a good thing for us.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>What does Desmond King do that makes him so dangerous in the return game?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;He typically makes the first guy miss, which is everything. Typically in coverage somebody&rsquo;s going to get beat. I mean a blocker&rsquo;s going to get beat, so there&rsquo;s going to be one guy that&rsquo;s down there way ahead of the pack, and the great ones can make that guy miss. <em>Then</em> you have a chance to get all of your blockers in position and really come alive. But if you can&rsquo;t make that first guy miss you don&rsquo;t have a chance, and that&rsquo;s what he does a really good job of.&rdquo;</p>
http://mgoblog.com/content/wednesday-presser-11-9-16-jay-harbaugh#comments2016 iowadevin asiasijay harbaughkenny allenpress conference transcriptsactual reportingThu, 10 Nov 2016 14:59:33 +0000Adam Schnepp111821 at http://mgoblog.comUnverified Voracity Euthanizes Selfhttp://mgoblog.com/content/unverified-voracity-euthanizes-self
<p align="center"><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/58bf65120b20_9771/CwHPSuOWAAApnuA.jpg"><img title="CwHPSuOWAAApnuA" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="CwHPSuOWAAApnuA" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/mgoupload/58bf65120b20_9771/CwHPSuOWAAApnuA_thumb.jpg" width="557" height="564" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>via SteveA</em></p>
<p><strong>Life comes at you fast</strong>. From We Want Bama to the above in under a year. EDSBS says <a href="http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/2016/10/31/13480346/don-t-do-this-michigan-state">no, no, no, don't no not that</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>YOU SEE THAT THIS IS BASICALLY A EUTHANASIA HEADLINE RIGHT? THAT MICHIGAN STATE DIDN’T LOSE THIS GAME, BUT INSTEAD GOT SOME KIND OF WASTING DISEASE AND TRIED TO MAKE IT COUNT BEFORE THEY DIED? WAS MORGAN FREEMAN ON THE SIDELINES TO ACCOMPANY MICHIGAN STATE AS THEY DID EVERYTHING THEY WANTED TO BEFORE THE GRIM END ARRIVED? OH COOL, MICHIGAN STATE, YOUR FONDEST WISH WAS TO HOLD MICHIGAN SCORELESS FOR A QUARTER BEFORE DISPLAYING A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING FOR BASIC SCORING MATH. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. WE’LL CUT THE TRAILER TO “HOLOCENE” AND RELEASE IT IN TIME FOR OSCAR CONSIDERATION.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Come for the all-caps rant, stay for the discussion of the most Michigan serial killer. I've still got HH Holmes. North Campus represent. </p>
<p><strong>Life also runs away from you fast</strong>. This isn't quite a 40, but in pads at the end of a game where you played both ways it's still eyepopping: </p>
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/JabrillPeppers">@JabrillPeppers</a> runs a 4.5 forty in game, in pads vs. Michigan State. (Music credit to <a href="https://t.co/CyPuS0B3he">https://t.co/CyPuS0B3he</a>) <a href="https://t.co/RNY5gnhjR9">pic.twitter.com/RNY5gnhjR9</a></p>
<p> — Chad Kent (@Chad_Kent) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chad_Kent/status/793109104407576576">October 31, 2016</a></p></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><p>He might test okay at the combine. </p>
<p><strong>The Stribling Q</strong>. How good is he? He had a rough couple plays against MSU but the verdict still appears to be &quot;very good.&quot; PFF just <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/793218527524163584">published a snapshot of their top corners</a> as rated by NFL passer rating when targeted. Michigan's CBs are #2 and #3, nationally, behind Clemson's Mark Fields. Stats:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lewis has allowed 4 completions on 17 targets for 2.9 YPA with two INTs. </li>
<li>Stribling has allowed 10 completions on 35 attempts for 4.1 YPA, one TD, and three INTs. </li>
</ul>
<p>The only other Big Ten corners on the list are OSU's starters at #7 and #10. </p>
<p><strong>Higdon on his future</strong>. <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2016/10/31/michigan-rb-higdon-happy-after-sick--stomach-decision/93096560/">Interesting quote from him</a> in a Chengelis profile: </p>
<blockquote><p>“It was really me looking at life after football, Football is not a promising game. You never know when your last snap or play is going to be, so you have to think about the things that’s going to build you as a person versus building you as a football player. I live with no regrets.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>He said the choice between Michigan and Iowa made him &quot;sick to his stomach&quot;; that whole Higdon/Weber thing was balanced on a knife edge. </p>
<p><strong>The Debordenberg Project</strong>. Tennessee had a moment there when they were recovering every ball that hit the turf and seemed like a top ten team if you didn't look to closely. After three straight losses, the most recent to South Carolina, not so much. </p>
<p>Losing to year one Will Muschamp is bad enough. Virtually <a href="https://blutarsky.wordpress.com/2016/11/01/vol-fans-booch-has-one-word-for-you/">photoshopping yourself into an internet meme</a> at a press conference is worse:</p>
<blockquote><p>“This football team’s fine,” Jones said. “This football program’s fine. I love our fan base. Everything is fine. We’re going to be just fine.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Survey says... eh, he's probably right. Tennessee finishes the year against Tennessee Tech, Kentucky, Missouri, and Vanderbilt. They should be a deeply unsatisfying 9-3.</p>
<p>Meanwhile in <a href="http://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/football/2016/10/31/mike-debord-teams-looks-differently-film-than-game/93068494/">Mike Debord Is A Coordinator For A Power 5 Program</a>: </p>
<blockquote><p>&quot;South Carolina was trying to take away the long ball,&quot; DeBord told members of the Knoxville Quarterback Club at Calhoun's on the River on Monday. &quot;They didn’t want to give up big plays and they didn’t.<strong> The other thing is what we see every week, and it’s been interesting, but what we’re seeing on film throughout the week, teams are changing it up</strong>. <strong>What you practice against is not always what you see in the game.</strong> That’s having to adjust with our players and things like that.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>IS THIS A NEW CONCEPT TO YOU</p>
<p>AAAAARGH THIS IS HOW A TEAM WITH TOM BRADY, ANTHONY THOMAS AND LIKE FOUR NFL LINEMEN AVERAGED 3.5 YPC IN 2000</p>
<p>NO I'M NOT OVER THAT</p>
<p>no you're being unreasonable</p>
<p>Fine. It's not our problem any more and I should be nice to Mike DeBord even if he seems to just be cottoning on to the fact teams will try to trick you 30 years into his career. I think I called Michigan a Queensbury's Rules program under Lloyd Carr and... yep. Yep yep yep. </p>
<p><strong>Basketball scrimmages Akron</strong>. Kudos to Tony Paul, who <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2016/10/31/ums-jon-teske-may-have-early-edge-austin-davis/93087954/">got enough about it to post an article</a>—I don't recall Michigan's &quot;secret scrimmage&quot; getting any coverage before this year. Akron is a MAC favorite and in a scrimmage scenario you're going to get a lot of rotation that won't continue in competitive games; I wouldn't read much into the score. Akron &quot;might've&quot; won one of the halves per Paul, which rather emphasizes the lack of emphasis to put on scoring. </p>
<p>On the other hand this is a very nice thing to hear: </p>
<blockquote><p>Sophomore big man Moritz Wagner, who really came on at the end of his freshman season in the postseason, had a big game against Akron and figures to be &quot;a matchup problem&quot; for several opposing teams, the person in attendance said.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Paul also reports that Jon Teske seemed ahead of Austin Davis in the race to be Michigan's third center, which is a mild surprise after the open practice Michigan had. </p>
<p><strong>Kickers on Kenny Allen</strong>. Andrew Kahn <a href="https://andrewjkahn.com/2016/10/28/former-michigan-kickers-talk-about-kicking/">talks to Kickin' Compentency Lopata and Garrett Rivas</a> about Kenny Allen's workload. Some really interesting inside baseball therein:</p>
<blockquote><p>“As great as special teams coaches are, I think most of them don’t know the mechanics of kicking and punting,” Lopata said. “In terms of making a change or what’s actually going on with kicks and punts, the vast majority of players rely on other kickers on the team, a personal coach, and themselves. One of the biggest things I try to instill in the players I coach is self-correction—being able to give yourself objective feedback regarding your mechanics.”</p>
<p>That is not to say U-M’s coaches aren’t paying attention. A couple of weeks ago, Harbaugh said he’d noticed that Allen was rushing some of his kicks. “You want to be in that 1.25, 1.3 [second] operation time and he was getting down there one time where he was 1.1.”</p>
<p>Lopata watches games very closely and liked what he saw last Saturday from Allen. “He’s doing a lot of great things with his body positioning—keeping his chest up and having a smooth and fluid follow-through. The biggest tell is what’s happening with the ball. Although PATs are short, judging from the ball rotation and how high up on the net it is, I can tell he’s back to striking the ball flush.</p>
<p>“You want to see an end-over-end rotation and the ball rotating at the right speed—not too fast or too slow; just at that nice, correct pace, which you only know if you see it.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Article was posted Friday and Allen made good on Lopata's observations, going 3/3 and hitting a 44-yarder. Whole thing recommended.</p>
<p><strong>Hayden Lavigne's backstory</strong>. Zach Shaw <a href="http://michigan.247sports.com/Article/After-a-long-USHL-journey-Hayden-Lavigne-finally-gets-his-chance-48549540">on Michigan's #1 or #2 or #3 goaltender</a>: </p>
<blockquote><p>In 2013, Lavigne committed to the Wolverines when he was 17. It was supposed to be a simple story of a talented Canadian taking his game to Michigan before advancing to the pros, but that got shot to hell.</p>
<p>In the fragile position of goaltending, Lavigne became shattered goods in the United States Hockey League. Cut twice in two years in the league, his career was in jeopardy, and Michigan passed on taking him in two years in a row.</p>
<p>But as Lavigne shifted, lunged, batted, swung at and stopped all 31 shots Union peppered at him in his first college game earlier this month, it was clear that he had put the pieces together.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Goalies are weird. </p>
<p>Lavigne figures to get a lot of opportunities to prove his worth over the course of the season: Michigan got swept last weekend by bad teams and massively outshot. They've managed to defy possession, Corsi, and plain old shot totals en route to a decent start, but they're starting to come back to earth. Unless they radically improve their level of play they won't be in the tournament, or anywhere near it. They were outshot 42-21 by Vermont. They are probably the worst team Red Berenson has fielded since the very beginning of his tenure. </p>
<p><strong>Etc.:</strong> if you were confused about <a href="http://www.crimsonquarry.com/2016/10/31/13484328/pat-narduzzi-purdue-head-coaching-search-purduzzi">Pat Narduzzi to Purdue twitter</a> yesterday, the <em>Crimson Quarry</em> explains. Kinda. <a href="http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2016/11/michigan_awaits_first_batch_of.html">Playoff rankings tonight</a>, will be anticlimactic. <a href="http://www.espn.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/137995/glasgows-make-being-a-michigan-wolverine-a-family-affair">Glasgows gonna Glasgow</a>. Josh Rosen's <a href="https://twitter.com/BruceFeldmanCFB/status/793488395645227008">out for the year</a>, which might help Michigan in some UCLA/M recruiting battles as the Bruins go 4-8 and Jim Mora goes Brian Kelly on the sideline a bunch. The money's <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/why-jim-harbaughs-9m-salary-isnt-the-problem-in-college-sports-013248616.html">got to go somewhere</a>. Hinton on <a href="http://uproxx.com/sports/jabrill-peppers-michigan-heisman-trophy-2016/">Peppers's Heisman chances</a>. </p>
<a name="more"></a>http://mgoblog.com/content/unverified-voracity-euthanizes-self#comments2016 michigan statebasketballchanning striblinghayden lavignejabrill peppersjabrill peppers human cheat codekaran higdonkenny allenmike debordmike debord doomunverified voracityTue, 01 Nov 2016 16:32:28 +0000Brian111571 at http://mgoblog.comMonday Presser 10-31-16: Jim Harbaughhttp://mgoblog.com/content/monday-presser-10-31-16-jim-harbaugh
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30018985744_168f887260_z.jpg"><img alt="30018985744_168f887260_z" border="0" height="371" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30018985744_168f887260_z_thumb.jpg" title="30018985744_168f887260_z" width="554" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Fuller/MGoBlog]</em></p>
<p><strong>What will it take to keep the guys focused and playing at a high level the rest of the year every week?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;I think it takes a lot of commitment. Hard work. Good goals. Uh&hellip;commitment. Good football character. Good human character. I feel like we&rsquo;ve got those kind of guys.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>You&rsquo;ve been able to get the ball to four running backs, a couple of wide receivers, Jabrill, fullbacks. Short and long term, how much does that help you whether it&rsquo;s recruiting, but also to win games because the other team doesn&rsquo;t quite know who&rsquo;s going to get the ball and everybody&rsquo;s fresh?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;I think it helps in all the ways you just said. Helps in all those areas.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>I think Mone went out of the game in the first half? Did he come back in or is he hurt?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Yeah, he fell down. Fell down on his leg and came off, but he came in yesterday saying he felt good.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Do you have any expectations whether Grant Perry will play this week or is he still going through whatever he&rsquo;s going through?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Yeah, we&rsquo;ll&hellip;to be determined.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Thoughts on DJ Durkin coming in with Maryland and the job he&rsquo;s done with them so far this year.</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s done a fabulous job. Just always respected DJ as a tremendous competitor at the highest level. Smile thinking about his competitiveness, and also always happy for a friend&rsquo;s success. I think he&rsquo;s doing a fabulous job, him and his entire staff and team. You can see the energy. You can see the strength. You can see the competitiveness and execution on the field, et cetera. The flip side of that is we know that this&rsquo;ll be a big game, a championship game. This will be a real test for our club.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>[After THE JUMP: We&rsquo;ve got to build some immune systems. More push-ups. More whole milk.]</strong></p>
<a name="more"></a><!--break--><!--break--><p><strong>Kind of along those lines, does it change the way you prepare for another coach with DJ being here last year as opposed to just another coach? Does it change the way you approach the game since he was here last year and kind of knows what you guys do.</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think too much, no. Not significantly. Approach won&rsquo;t change.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>MGoQuestion: Karan Higdon had more carries than any other player in the fourth quarter. What have you seen from him in-season to earn those carries and earn that level of trust?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Well, he&rsquo;s a good player. I think particularly in the ballgame, in the fourth quarter of that game, we were getting some edge pressure and Karan does a good job, maybe the best job, of hitting the hole. He hits it downhill very fast and we felt like we needed that in that part of the ballgame.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Going back to DJ coaching at Maryland now, what is it like for you to see your assistants or staff members move on to bigger positions and spread the word, if you will, and take what they learned here to other programs and apply that?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Oh, it&rsquo;s always fun. It&rsquo;s a big thrill. I follow all the coaches that we worked with and pull for them when they&rsquo;re not playing us. Happy for the other guys&rsquo; success is the attitude that we have here at Michigan. Personally, it&rsquo;s good. I like it. I like it a lot. Professionally, to see guys develop and reach their goals, especially when you know going in what their goals are because you ask them, you talk about it, and you want to see your friends have success and be good. He definitely has been at every job that he&rsquo;s had. He goes all out. Does things at a very high level with a lot of enthusiasm and just&hellip;kindred spirit, so very happy for him.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>When you look at the Maryland program, do you see a lot of familiar elements of things that he worked with while he was here or is he doing things differently?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Yeah, there&rsquo;s elements. Elements certainly on the defense and you see the hustle, you see the aggressiveness, similar schemes that we recognize. Andy Buh, the defensive coordinator, we worked together at Standford. Matt Barnes coached here last year as well. Got to know some of their offensive coaches this summer. Worked some camps. You know, it&rsquo;s a really good staff, good bunch of guys who understand the intensity they have and they&rsquo;re good at their jobs. That&rsquo;ll add to the test this week.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Wanted to ask you, too, about Channing Stribling. Seems like he&rsquo;s made a big jump in the past year and improved steadily. How important has be been to the overall success of the pass defense, being able to make sure there&rsquo;s no weak link?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Yeah, he&rsquo;s been a stalwart. Really exceptional in coverage. Mainstay last year and this year. Can count on him. Can count on him for practice. Can count on him for gamedays. Playing at a real high level in terms of coverage and he&rsquo;s--</p>
<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s gonna be some things to teach off this past game, which is a good thing. It was good that our defense was tested, and there&rsquo;s things that we can improve. I would say that for all our players. As coaches, good opportunity for us to make further improvements.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Devin Bush had a couple more big plays on special teams. Can you talk about his impact there and how you see that translating to the linebacker position eventually?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Yeah, he&rsquo;s an improving player without a doubt. I think he&rsquo;s really bought into the fact of running down on a kickoff and being excited about that, being excited about making the play. Has contact courage. He&rsquo;s looking to go from point A to point B and hit somebody. He&rsquo;s improving in that area.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The one difference&mdash;people sometimes ask the difference between college and pro football, and what always stand out to me is the kickoff coverage. Guys are really running the same type of 40 time, but at the pro level they&rsquo;re going faster. It&rsquo;s something where you can feel the guys running. I mean, their jobs depend on it, their livelihoods are at stake. Try to get the college guys to have that urgency and mentality. Improving on it, but I bet if you just timed it&mdash;if you timed, which I haven&rsquo;t done, [but] if you took an average time of guys running down on NFL kickoffs and compared it to college guys it wouldn&rsquo;t&hellip;it&rsquo;d be disproportional to how fast they are.</p>
<p>&ldquo;But Devin&rsquo;s a guy who, he relishes that opportunity. He&rsquo;s improving. He&rsquo;s running down there faster. Just&mdash;the NFL guys, they go as fast as they possibly can. The college guys, they all seem to have a governor on them. He&rsquo;s learning. He&rsquo;s ascending. He&rsquo;s trying&mdash;we&rsquo;re trying to get the governor off all our guys, but it&rsquo;s a process.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Some of the defensive players said they thought some of the struggles in the fourth quarter were just the lack of focus and intensity. Is that something that you saw in terms of the reason for giving up so many yards in the fourth quarter?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;No, that&rsquo;s not what I saw.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>What do you think the primary reason was that it was different than the first three quarters?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Well, as I said, we&rsquo;ll have things we can address. I do feel we have some things that we can address and coach and be better at. I thought we got a little tired up front. Gonna address that and some other things that aren&rsquo;t for public consumption.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Throughout the team, it was good for our defense to be tested. It was good for our offense and our kicking game to be tested, and you get excited about the fact that you win the game and have things that you can improve on.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Did you happen to see Grant Newsome&rsquo;s tweet about making the hill climb with his walker and your thoughts about that?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;No, I didn&rsquo;t see that.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>He talked about making a climb up the hill, he needed a win as well as Michigan, and it showed him getting out and working out as best he can right now.</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Yeah. You know, it&rsquo;s good. I&rsquo;ve been following his progress and seeing him. You&rsquo;d all be really proud of him. He&rsquo;s such a stud. And it leaves you with little doubt that he&rsquo;s going to be successful at whatever he does, including football. He&rsquo;s got great parents. He&rsquo;s highly motivated so it won&rsquo;t be&mdash;he will be back.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>When you go over Wilton&rsquo;s game again, I know you said two weeks ago you thought that was his best game, against Illinois, but in that first half before the interception, is that about as good as you&rsquo;ve seen him with some of these third-down throws, standing in and making plays?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Yeah, Nick. Really excited. I mean, you could make an argument this was his best game. Really, I think we&rsquo;re looking at a budding really good player. [<em>laughs</em>] I almost said budding star. I mean, it&rsquo;s really close to that. He&rsquo;s doing so many good things, and he&rsquo;s been almost flawless, really, when he has time and space to see things. Now he&rsquo;s making play after play after play with people right in his grill. He knows he&rsquo;s gonna get hit and still making the throw over them and then takes the hit and bounces right up. I mean, throwing accurate passes knowing that he&rsquo;s going to get hit. That is really a courage quality, and really playing well.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The interception, we busted. We busted the assignment and turned the defensive end free, and he looked back to find Karan and somebody was affecting his vision, couldn&rsquo;t really see the defender. You could make a case that was his best game. You really could.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>You can teach a lot of things to a quarterback, but his temperament, he seems to be the same, good play, bad play, every play. Is that a unique thing for him and something you can&rsquo;t really coach?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s really improved. I don&rsquo;t really&mdash;I don&rsquo;t know if you can teach that or not. Somebody has, you know, because he&rsquo;s really come a long way in that regard, and he&rsquo;s had great examples. Jake Rudock was certainly a tremendous example of that. His parents are&mdash;they&rsquo;re just rock-solid people as well. I think Jedd [Fisch] does a great job, and he listens, he takes coaching. He&rsquo;s taught himself. Self-talk. You teach yourself through self-talk in a lot of ways. A lot of ways, people rise to the occasion when they have the opportunity and they have an urgency to rise to the opportunity. That&rsquo;s certainly been the case. He&rsquo;s learned it. I don&rsquo;t know exactly from where or what proportion for some of those factors I mentioned.</p>
<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s really ascending in that area. Cool. Cool as a cucumber out there. Thinking, really thinking [and] processing. We&rsquo;re now getting to the point&mdash;it&rsquo;s really so good, within the last two weeks I&rsquo;m going to him and asking him what he&rsquo;s comfortable with, what he&rsquo;s excited about, what he wants to throw. Hey, give me this or that; giving him an option that wasn&rsquo;t there with that three, four weeks ago, five weeks ago. And he&rsquo;s confident in saying what he wants to do.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Shoot, there were some times in that ballgame I could tell he was calmer, more collected, cooler than I was during the game. But does it in a real thinking way. It&rsquo;s good. I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;m describing that very well, but it&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m seeing.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>What type of kid is Kenny Allen, and you must have been extremely happy with him on the weekend. He seemed to fall back in nicely.</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Yeah, really since I met him he&rsquo;s been that kind of guy. Just working, working, working, progressing. Always does it with a bounce in his step. He&rsquo;s got a real positive type of demeanor, but he&rsquo;s also somebody that does it daily. Comes with a good work ethic to be better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today. Very confident but not obnoxious at the same time. He&rsquo;s got a good mix, a real good mix, of confidence and humility. Well socialized. Great guy to be around.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Two-part baseball question: did you have fun last night, and is your dad confident that his Indians will be able to pull it out?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Uh, so we had a great time. It was a tremendous atmosphere. It was one of those signature moments, being in a World Series game with my dad, my mom, my wife, Sarah, was outstanding.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think he does. I think he feels good. Kluber coming back, he feels good about that. Yeah. He&rsquo;s been very excited. He&rsquo;s been very excited. It means a lot to him. It&rsquo;s real. Just like it was being around so many Cubs and Indians fans last night. And the pressure! Pshoo. It was there. You could see it for the ballplayers. Had a great seat out in left field. It was fun. It was really good watching the game in as opposed to watching the game out. Ben&rsquo;s work out in left field was tremendous. The catch he made where he had to deal with the bullpen mound and holding runners there, it was&mdash;Carlos was out there too, as well. It was really interesting being out there in left field. I think that&rsquo;s where I prefer to watch a game at. All good, all good.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Baseball&rsquo;s a little like ice cream, though. It&rsquo;s so good that&mdash;good to be back in football. Football you can do every day. Baseball&rsquo;s almost too fun. It&rsquo;s like ice cream. You couldn&rsquo;t eat it every day.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>I think Jake Butt said he and Mason [Cole] were sick last week. Can you evaluate Mason&rsquo;s&mdash;he and Malik [McDowell] were going at it during the game and on that interception he was the guy who pushed Hicks out.</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Yeah, definitely. We had some sickly youngsters last week. We&rsquo;ve got to build some immune systems. More push-ups. More whole milk. Jake and Mason were two of the most sickly during the week, but they both responded.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Mason Cole, there&rsquo;s a guy&mdash;and I&rsquo;ve always said this, too, but experienced playing some of my best games with a temperature. There&rsquo;s something that makes you focus more during a game. Mason was our offensive lineman of the week. Thought he had the best performance of our offensive line. Jake Butt came through with some big catches and tremendous blocking, so yeah. More hand sanitizer and more push-ups and whole milk on tap for this week.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>How has he progressed in that role, playing center and being as physical as he was with Malik during that game.</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Oh, great. I mean, you flick on the film and there he is. I mean, he&rsquo;s moving people and getting his job done down after down, playing low and fast and physical. He&rsquo;s really developing as a center, there&rsquo;s no question about it. This is&mdash;feel great that this is his position. He is a ideal, prototypical center and doing a great job. Just gotta boost his immune system.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Eddie McDoom&#39;s a guy you&#39;ve got the ball to a few different ways the past few weeks. What kind of possibilities does he have in the offense?</strong></p>
<p>&quot;Several. He&#39;s an ascending player. Kekoa Crawford as well. Both those youngsters are doing a tremendous job. Nate Johnson is right there with them, too, so that&#39;s exciting. Now, playing the rest of the season and goign forward in the future see what those guys can develop into, but so far, so good.&quot;</p>
<p><strong>Have he and Chesson raced yet?</strong></p>
<p>&quot;No, haven&#39;t raced &#39;em yet.</p>
<p>[<em>long pause</em>]</p>
<p>&quot;What about Peppers? How is Peppers not the fastest guy on the team? Thought &nbsp;I heard a sonic boom when he was going on that two-point conversion. I&#39;ve seen it in practice so many times before, but that is <em>so </em>fast. Some day he&#39;s gonna go to the combine and run the 40 time, and it&#39;s gonna be so interesting to finally see what it reads. I mean, when he picked up that loose option pitch and was running back, I thought I heard a sonic boom. I was a little disappointed that parachutes didn&#39;t deploy. That looked like what was going to happen. As he got near the goal line, I thought some parachutes were goign to come out. Impressive. Im-pressive. Mercy!&quot;</p>
<p><strong>Jourdan Lewis actually seemed and said he was disappointed with the way the game ended. What did you say to those guys to let them know that they should be happy about that win and that there&rsquo;s no room for disappointment there? </strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Onward! Onward! I&rsquo;ll probably say this a bunch of times, but the thrill of victory, the wonderful, wonderful feeling of winning. Our team was tested. That was a good thing. Look forward to coaching things and improving this week, and onward to this big game that&rsquo;s in front of us and this championship ballgame we&rsquo;ll be playing against Maryland.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Were you rooting for the Cubs or Indians?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;I really like both teams. Definitely I found myself Cubs. Cubs, Cubs, Cubs. I&rsquo;m with Greg Mattison rooting for the Cubs. Jack Harbaugh, Rick Finotti&mdash;Rick Finotti, now, is a tremendous, tremendous Cleveland Indians fan. I have baseball favorites. I really like the As a lot. Love the As, love the Tigers, and then Cubs, for me. Got feeling for the Pittsburgh Pirates and also the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Indians. And the San Francisco Giants, I like them. There&rsquo;s probably an order there. There&rsquo;s an order.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>You like the Padres? Baltimore Orioles? The Reds?</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;Uh, those don&rsquo;t resonate with me as much as what I just said. I have several favorites.&rdquo;</p>
http://mgoblog.com/content/monday-presser-10-31-16-jim-harbaugh#comments2016 maryland2016 michigan statejabrill peppersjabrill peppers for heismanjim harbaughjim harbaugh does not have a doctor's degreejim harbaugh is a football dudejim harbaugh quarterback whispererkaran higdonkenny allenmason colepress conference transcriptswilton speightactual reportingMon, 31 Oct 2016 22:30:00 +0000Adam Schnepp111553 at http://mgoblog.comMichigan State Postgame Presser: Jim Harbaughhttp://mgoblog.com/content/michigan-state-postgame-presser-jim-harbaugh-0
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30650437775_14e7a9a808_z.jpg"><img title="30650437775_14e7a9a808_z" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="30650437775_14e7a9a808_z" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/30650437775_14e7a9a808_z_thumb.jpg" width="554" height="371" /></a></p>
<p align="center"><em>[Fuller/MGoBlog]</em></p>
<p><strong>Talk about how the running game got you guys established early. Couple big runs on that first drive.</strong></p>
<p>“Yeah, De’Veon was running really hard. All our backs were going. Both teams had success with the run early. That got us going. Set up quite a few things in the play action game and the passing game, and then our guys made plays.</p>
<p>“Really felt—[turns to SID] who’d you have in here? Saw Wilton. Who else was in here?”</p>
<p><em>SID</em>: Wilton and Amara.</p>
<p>“Amara! Amara Darboh. [laughs uproariously] Heck of a game. That’s maybe one of his best. Talk about guys making plays, Amara Darboh was really making plays today. And Wilton, another tremendous game by him. You know, the throw he made before the half to Amara on the deep in route, I thought that was especially good after taking a hit, getting knocked down, taking a pretty hard hit and then coming back and throwing that one right on the money.</p>
<p>“Defensively, we made plays. Guys made plays. Three out of four fourth-down were huge in the ballgame. Jabrill getting the—got a fourth down stop and also picking up that conversion at the end, scoring a touchdown. Guys made plays. That’s the way I feel right now. Got the W.”</p>
<p><strong>Jim, you talked about Amara going into the season as being your best receiver, and I think we’re seeing what you saw. Talk about what he’s done in the season to take it up even another level and what you’re getting from him right now.</strong></p>
<p>“Well, his game is at a very high level. Some of the highest I’ve seen of a college receiver. I think he’s well established as a great playmaker and also disciplined in every route that he runs, he blocks, great teammate—he does it all and does it the best he could possibly do. He’s got a lot of god-given talent and great work ethic, et cetera. It was a premier game for him today.”</p>
<p><strong>[After THE JUMP: “A lot of joy. It’s the great thrill of victory. The wonderful, wonderful feeling of winning. Jim McKay, right? ‘The thrill of victory’? Yeah. Good feeling.”]</strong></p>
<a name="more"></a><!--break--><!--break--><p><strong>Talk about Kenny Allen in the punt game and the kick game today.</strong></p>
<p>“Yeah, and the kickoff game. He was flawless today. We needed that in a tight ballgame. Guys were tested in all phases: our offense was tested, our kicking game was tested, our defense was tested, and our guys came through. Kenny came through. He was 100% on all his kicks.”</p>
<p><strong>I believe it was leaked that you might be getting trophies for all the guys, little miniature ones, but to have the trophy, the Paul Bunyan trophy, in that locker room for all the guys to come and celebrate with, what was that like for you as the overseer of the team? How much joy did that bring to see those guys celebrate with that?</strong></p>
<p>“A lot of joy. It’s the great thrill of victory. The wonderful, wonderful feeling of winning. Jim McKay, right? ‘The thrill of victory’? Yeah. Good feeling.”</p>
<p><strong>Can you give us the significance or the context of the workman’s shirt you were sporting on the way in today?</strong></p>
<p>“Oh, my jacket?”</p>
<p><strong>Yeah.</strong></p>
<p>“That’s just a jacket I’ve had for about five years. What—what’d you say? The what of it?”</p>
<p><strong>You had a workman’s jacket that said ‘Jim’ on it and I didn’t know if there was a backstory or context to that, when you were walking in to the stadium.</strong></p>
<p>“Uh, yeah. I mean, it’s pretty obvious what it stands for and what it represents.”</p>
<p><strong>[Someone starts to ask a question]</strong></p>
<p>“Workman’s jacket.” [shrugs shoulders]</p>
<p><strong>You were up pretty big at halftime, 17 points, and they keep coming back and making it tight. Did you think something was amiss with you guys’ defense or did you just view that as it’s a rivalry and that’s what happens?</strong></p>
<p>“Like I said, we were tested in all phases and we were sure that was going to be the case. You know, our guys made plays throughout the ballgame, really, from start to finish. Our guys made a few more plays. I thought it was a good, tight game and good for our guys to be tested that way and good for them to come through it.”</p>
<p><strong>You mentioned Wilton earlier. Really for the first time, they go and score on their first drive, the crowd’s into it, and he has to go back out and settle you guys. He goes back out and leads you guys to a touchdown. Was that one of the more impressive moments for him? That’s the first time he’s done that on the road. He hasn’t really been in that situation.</strong></p>
<p>“Yeah, been noticing it really—it just keeps getting better and better in terms of his poise. He’s just very, very, very calm; very strategic. He’s thinking the whole time and he’s able to operate at a very high level. But it’s getting better every week. Kind of like—very Jake Rudock-like. Jake really grew at that and was a great example for Wilton last year. I think I would credit that. But he’s definitely an ascending player in that area.”</p>
<p><strong>You were citing Jim McKay. Last year you experienced ‘the ultimate agony of defeat.’ You didn’t talk about that much this week, but didn’t that make this a little sweeter?</strong></p>
<p>“I mean, any time you lose it is that, it is the agony of defeat. Any time you win it’s the great thrill of victory and the wonderful feeling of winning. That’s just a fact of business. Fact. F-A-C-K, fact.”</p>
<p><strong>Can you update us on Grant Perry’s status? Did he travel here and--</strong></p>
<p>“What’d I say? F-A-C-T. Correction! I stand corrected! F-A-C-T.”</p>
<p><strong>Where’d you go to school?</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/Jim-Harbaugh-MSU-Postgame---mgovideo_com.png"><img title="Jim Harbaugh MSU Postgame mgovideo.com" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="Jim Harbaugh MSU Postgame mgovideo.com" src="http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/Jim-Harbaugh-MSU-Postgame---mgovideo_com_thumb.png" width="244" height="118" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Can you update us on Grant Perry’s situation? Was he here today?</strong></p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p><strong>Is that a discipline situation?</strong></p>
<p>“Wasn’t here today, Mark.”</p>
<p><strong>Is that a discipline situation?</strong></p>
<p>“Wasn’t on the travel team, Mark.”</p>
<p><strong>I’ll throw two in here if I can. First of all, on that last play where they went for the two-point conversion, what was your understanding as to why they were doing that? Secondly, in a broader sense, a lot of guys who have held your position before or at Ohio State or Michigan State, they say you’ve got to beat Michigan State, you’ve got to beat Ohio State, you’ve got to win a Big Ten title. Do you hold with that, and if so, how significant is this as the first time you’ve done one of those three things on your checklist?</strong></p>
<p>“First part of that question: when I saw they were going for two, I called a timeout to get our defense back on the field.</p>
<p>“Second part of that question: I mean, we treat every game like it’s a big game. We treat every game like it’s a championship game, and fortunately our guys made the plays today. The credit goes to the players. Also the assistant coaches did a tremendous job. Really proud of everybody, all our staff, and now it’s onward.”</p>
<p><strong>Did you understand the two-point conversion? Like, what they were trying to do exactly given where you were in the score and what that was going to do versus just kicking the extra point?</strong></p>
<p>“Uh, no, I think you’d have to ask them what—they were trying to get two points was what they were trying to do.”</p>
<p><strong>In the second half of the season here you have three big-time road games. This was the first of them in a hostile environment. Did you see the composure and attitude you’d like to see from your team today?</strong></p>
<p>“I thought our guys played really good, solid football and made big plays. You know, it was—that’s the way I look at it. I was really proud of them and the way they played. I thought they performed admirably and got the W. Did they perform with composure and poise? I thought so, yes.”</p>
http://mgoblog.com/content/michigan-state-postgame-presser-jim-harbaugh-0#comments2016 michigan stateamara darbohamara darboh is citizen dangjim harbaughkenny allenpress conference transcriptswilton speightactual reportingSun, 30 Oct 2016 16:00:39 +0000Adam Schnepp111500 at http://mgoblog.com